Developer information (from the author)

ABA Math is my first serious attempt at programing under Microsoft Windows. You will probably think that is obvious when you look at the code. I have been programming since 1969, but under different operating systems. Since 1985 I have used UNIX and Linux exclusively. Frankly, I dislike Windows, but that is the system of choice for millions of home computers. If I want my program to get a lot of use, it will have to work under Windows.

I taught myself Windows programming as I went along using an old copy of Charles Petzold's Programming Windows 95. I don't know any Windows programmers personally, so I'm pretty much on my own.

The program is written in C using Win32 calls. I used the free Dev-C++ compiler from Bloodshed Software and the free AGInstaller from Agentix Software. I produced the graphics using my favorite image processor, The Gimp, and produced the sound files using the The Gnome Sound Recorder and the Snd sound editor. To give myself a more useful and familiar environment I also used the excellent free Cygwin package, and the (for me) indispensible EMACS editor available here from the good people at the Free Software Foundation. These choices clearly mark me as a dyed-in-the-wool UNIX guy.

Windows programmers will undoubtedly tell me that I would be better off using more mainstream Windows tools such as Visual C++. But for me the path I chose seemed to be the fastest way to get a working program. I am willing, however, to switch to something else if it will move things along faster.

The code itself isn't pretty. There are not many comments (yeah, I'll get to them some day). In many places I left in code that was originally experimental, but ended up working well enough (yeah, I'll clean that up some day too).

The good news is the program works. Mostly. There are a few bugs and some missing features. But the program works. And it's a lot easier to work with something that is ugly but works, than with an idea that is conceptually beautiful but not yet working.

I also know the fundamentals of ABA therapy pretty well. My son has been receiving ABA Therapy through The Wisconsin Early Autism Project for over five years. They trained me and I worked as one of his therapists for three years. I trained many of his therapists myself.

So what do you think? Do you know an autistic kid who could use this? Would you like to roll up your sleaves and help move this thing along?

Harry Dolan