Fall 2025 Semester Complete: New Features for Foodplanner and VTA
The Fall 2025 semester has concluded with significant improvements to both Foodplanner and Visual Tangible Artefacts (VTA). Student teams from Aalb...
A research project at Aalborg University · since 2011
Visual tools for autistic children with little or no verbal speech.
GIRAF builds visual schedules, communication boards and meal plans. Students design and test them with special-needs schools, and rebuild them each fall semester.
The project
Run by student teams, every fall semester since 2011.
GIRAF is a research and teaching project at Aalborg University's Department of Computer Science. Since 2011, student teams have built and rebuilt a small family of communication tools for children with little or no verbal speech, and tested them in special-needs schools. The apps below are in daily use at our partner school. They are also always partway through another rebuild, because that is how the project runs.
The apps
Three tools, one shared backend.
Each app is a Flutter front end over the shared GIRAF Core service. They are at different stages of maturity, noted on each card.
In daily use
Weekplanner
Caregivers build a child's day and week from pictograms. The child sees what is happening and in what order, and ticks off each activity as it is done.
Screenshots & details →
In active development
VTA: communication boards
Boards of visual artefacts, each with an image, a label and a sound, shared live between a child and a caregiver. Includes text-to-speech and video calling.
Screenshots & details →
Early build
Foodplanner
Visual meal plans (madpakker) built from photos of real food, for children with selective eating. Based on the Picture Exchange Communication System.
Screenshots & details →Where it comes from
Developed with Egebakken Specialskole.
2011
Running every fall semester since
3
Disciplines on each team: software, IT and interaction design
100%
Open source, at github.com/aau-giraf
Our main partner is Egebakken Specialskole in Vodskov, with the Center for Autism & ADHD in Aalborg. Features come from classroom observation, staff interviews and usability testing with real children.
How it's designed
Five principles, for the apps and this page.
From TEACCH and PECS practice.
- 01
Predictability
What happens next is always visible.
- 02
Visual clarity
One idea per card, shown in pictures first.
- 03
Simplicity
As few steps as possible.
- 04
Consistency
The same action looks and works the same way everywhere.
- 05
Independence
The child can do it without help.
From the project
Latest news
Foodplanner Gets Smarter Search
Finding the right ingredients in Foodplanner just got easier. The Fall 2025 student team has added a search and filter function that helps caregive...
VTA Now Supports Remote Viewing for Parents and Teachers
Visual Tangible Artefacts (VTA) now allows parents and teachers to view a child’s communication board remotely. This new feature helps adults stay ...
Fall 2025 Semester Begins
A new semester of GIRAF development is underway! This fall, student teams will continue work on Foodplanner and Visual Tangible Artefacts (VTA).