TeachTown: Basics is immersed in a character driven world that captures your child's interest and keeps them motivated during the lessons through our engaging cast of characters.

Let’s meet them!

For Jelly, every morning isn’t just the start of a new day, but also the beginning of a new set of challenges. For this hard-working, goal-oriented achiever, he can accomplish whatever he sets his mind to, as long as he plans out a meticulous schedule to follow!

Whiz kid, Mochi, has all of the answers. He knows that ants can lift 20 times their body weight, how alligators are different than crocodiles, and that a baker’s dozen is 13, not 12. However, Mochi is sometimes absent-minded and forgets the most basic things, like putting on his socks before his shoes.

Sure, Pico can be shy, sensitive, and quiet sometimes, but once he gets to know you, he’ll blast off like a rocket, telling hilarious stories, like the time he caught 10 fireflies with nothing but his cap! His friends enjoy his silly spirit, especially when he launches into his physical comedy antics.

Look out rain clouds, here comes Ginger, and she’s not about to let you dampen her fun! An outgoing, spontaneous adventurer, Ginger enjoys making new friends and sharing her warmhearted smile with everyone in TeachTown!

Within each of our On Computer Lessons, your child is motivated to complete a series of lessons in anticipation of the cartoon rewards and animated games that await them upon completion of those lessons. Rewards are offered to your child on an Intermittent Reinforcement Schedule. This means that he/she gets a reward on an average of every 4 correct answers (even if the answer was prompted). Your child doesn’t know exactly when they will get a reward, but they know that if they keep working they will get rewards (also known as reinforcers). Research shows that Intermittent Reinforcement Schedules are the best schedules for keeping responding high (keeping your child answering questions).

On Computer Lesson animated rewards and games:

Image: Farm Rewards Game Image: Build a Car Rewards Game Image: Firehouse Game

In a published study students with autism were more social on the computer using TeachTown: Basics than when playing with their parents. During TeachTown: Basics computer sessions, students spontaneously commented, looked at their parent, and showed positive affect toward their parent more often than when their parent was instructed to play with their child for the same amount of time. Students also used less inappropriate language and engaged in fewer challenging behaviors during the computer sessions compared to the play sessions.

Positive behavior increases and negative behavior decreases when students with autism use TeachTown: Basics.