Colgate® and MagnusCards™ Make Life with Autism Easier

October 30, 2017 Margalit Sturm Francus

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. However, all thoughts, opinions, or suggestions are from me directly.

It makes me happy when companies team up for the better good. So, I am delighted to announce that Colgate® and MagnusCards™ have created a partnership to help families with special cognitive needs like autism. For parents with special needs, developing daily routines and practicing life skills is essential in promoting independence and self-reliance for their kids’ future.

Our life before the MagnusCards™ app

From an early on age, I noticed that our son with autism was not exactly ‘easy going.’ He would react adversely to even the slightest changes in his daily routine. Furthermore, he had difficulty following simple instructions when it came to life skills. Many times he would get frustrated when meal times changed or if I’d ask him to rewash his hair after leaving shampoo in it.

In my quest to prevent unnecessary miscommunication and meltdowns, I started using a series of post-it notes. The notes described the step by step process of many daily chores. From putting dishes in the dishwasher to making his bed, our walls were covered with colorful reminders. The system ‘sort of’ worked but had drawbacks. The notes would fall off the wall sporadically, and after a while, the wall became too congested with papers.

About the MagnusCards™ app

So, when I heard about Colgate’s partnership with MagnusCards™, I was eager to try them. The MagnusCards™ app is free, easy to set up and keeps all the information in one organized place. Best of all, my son who is a huge fan of anything digital, considered it ‘cool.’

The cards are the brainchild of Nadia Hamilton, the sister of a young adult on the autism spectrum. The mobile app helps special needs individuals practice life skills so they can lead more independent lives. The app creates step-by-step digital guides for daily activities depending on each person’s needs. Educators, service providers, and parents can customize the cards to address specific needs of individuals or groups. Younger kids can learn how to get dressed or brush teeth while older ones can sharpen their banking or grocery shopping skills.

How to access Colgate® and MagnusCards™

Access is effortless. All parents have to do is go to the colgate.magnuscards.com to learn more about the partnership and download the free app from the App Store or Google Play. By downloading the MagnusCards™ app on any smart device, children can follow simple step-by-step directions. These directions come with easy to follow images that further explain the task they wish to master.

After downloading this app, users are asked to create a profile. When the profile is completed, users are directed to the homepage. Here, parents can choose from different categories for their child. Arts, cleaning, entertainment, food, fun, health, money and oral care are just a few of the options. Make sure that you check out Colgate’s last video to get a sense of their partnership with Magnuscards:

Brushing teeth is fun!

My favorite category is the dental care. Being a trained dentist and mom, I know firsthand how critical dental care is for children. Parents have to start with good dental practices as soon as the first tooth appears.

I wish that I had the technology today back when my son was small. He had the hardest time brushing his back teeth. He was always impatient mainly at night and considered brushing a form of modern torture.

Today things are different. Thanks to the partnership between Colgate® and MagnusCards™, kids can master correct dental hygiene from an early age in a fun way. Developed with the oral health experts at Colgate, the app covers essential aspects of dental hygiene, from brushing and flossing to visiting the dentist. Now my son can do simple dental care on his own, without me hovering over his shoulder. All we had to do was download the free cards, and now he can follow step by step directions.

Did I mention how these cards can help parents like me relax?

My Take-Away

As a fan of Colgate®, I’ve had both my children use the company products since childhood. Nowadays, after seeing how the company is focusing on helping families with autism, I am even more excited about the brand.
Moreover, I ‘ve also become a big fan of MagnusCards™. They have helped my son learn how to use the ATM, ride public transportation and compare labels and pricing when he goes shopping.

I believe that Colgate® and MagnusCards™ teaming up will lead to new found freedom for many children with autism. It warms my heart to know that companies are listening to consumers and working together on ways to make our lives as autism parents easier.

Of course, as a parent, you should still supervise your children, but now you can step back a little bit. In fact, if your child can read, you can also allow them to scroll through the categories and subcategories and find ones they find interesting. They can use the app to learn how to ask for directions, call 911, mail letters or even get ready for school.

It is my hope that these two trailblazing companies explore additional ways to help special needs families and inspire other companies to follow in their footsteps in the years to come.