IPad use in Special Need Classes

1. Helen Bush
April 24, 2012
Edu 201
IPad Use for Children with Special Needs
In today’s world the number of students with special needs seems to be growing. With
the influx of these students in our schools teachers are left with the dilemma of finding the best
way to educate them. Many schools across the country are turning to iPads and other tablets to
help these students achieve their full potential. The use of touch-screen technology to help
improve and encourage communication and social skills in children with autism and other
developmental disabilities is being tried in many centers around the country. (Barnett, 2012). The
iPad is easy for the students to use and has many apps that can be used to aid special needs
students in achieving certain preset goals. There are many upsides to using this technology;
however, as with all new technology comes a downside and bugs that must be fixed.
According to Apple there are now about 40,000 educational applications for the iPad.
(Boyd, 2011). There are so many apps developed specifically to help children with special needs
achieve an educational and social equal ground among their fellow peers. In a “60 Minutes”
broadcast from October, a 27-year-old autistic boy has learned to use his iPad and the special
language applications his mother installed as a way to communicate what he sees, wants and
feels. Additional apps help him practice making eye contact and identifying other complex
emotions. With the help of the device, his mother said her son is communicating fully now and
can be a part of the real world. With the help of an application called iCommunicate, DeJong, the
Southeast Tennessee District autism consultant, is able to see toddlers immediately interact and

2. respond to images on the tablet, allowing them to feel more in control as the screen reacts to their
touch, keeping the child engaged and focused. (Barnett, 2012). By using apps that make the
students more able to control and understand the situation around them we are able to retain their
interest. It is obvious that if a child feels something is not within their reach they will become
aggravated, bored or panicked. These feelings make it impossible for anyone to learn. If the iPad
helps to lessen these fears then it is an asset to these students that should not be ignored.
Recent reports are indicating an increase in positive results when the iPad is used with
children with autism, with research showing improvements to a child's willingness to socialize,
as well as enhancing the child's attention span. (Barnett, 2012). There are many advantages to
using iPads and other tablets for children with special needs. Educators and parents agree tablets
are growing in popularity for special-needs students because they can be customized to each
child's needs, are lightweight and mobile, and give the kids the sense they're plugged into a
larger, high-tech community. (Boyd, 2011). Many Parents feel that iPads and other tablet
computers have given their children with autism a voice they never had. Students with autism are
communicating in new ways and the secrets of their minds are for the first time, being unlocked.
(Shah, 2012). There are so many different apps on the iPad that can address certain areas that a
student may need extra help with. Video can be used to practice social skills. Speech recognition
aids students who have writing difficulties. The touch screen makes use easy for children who
have dexterity problems. One popular application used there is Proloquo2go. Users can select
from images on a screen to communicate everything from how they're feeling to where they want
to go. Students with reading disorders can record lectures and play them back when they get
home. The calendar keeps students with attention deficit disorder very organized. Everything is
consolidated for them on one device: their calendars, memos and notes. (Boyd, 2011). This helps

3. the students come to class prepared and less panicked that they may have forgotten something.
They are no longer feeling rushed or overloaded because everything they need to do is laid out
for them. They are given a structure that they have not had before. It also allows the student to
work at their own pace without other students in the class knowing they are falling behind or
having difficulty with a task, hopefully allowing the student to become less flustered and
unembarrassed by their progress. Another benefit is the teacher can get instant feedback on a
student’s progress and immediately see where they are excelling or having difficulty.
One of the major problems some are coming across is the lack of research. The
technology is fairly new and this means a lack of research. We do not know what the benefits
will be in the long run because we are just now enacting these methods. It is a big unknown if the
iPad or other tablets are enhancing what these students are learning or just a new fancy toy for
many to play with. Our only option is to wait and see if the results are there. Some members of
the autism advocacy community are questioning the therapeutic value of iPads. No one has
actually studied which apps have a therapeutic benefit. Parents may hear anecdotes about apps
dramatically changing a child's life, but there is no measurable proof that the apps really work.
The challenge with many apps is a lot are developed by well-meaning parents but under no
guidance with autism experts. For many, it brings in questions such as: Does any of this actually
make any difference the danger is that the iPad becomes a really expensive toy." (Shah, 2012).
There is also a problem with the iPad actually distracting the very students it is suppose to teach.
Many of these students already experience problems with focus and concentration. "The dark
side of all the bells and whistles is that in some cases it's too much, and kids get overly focused
on things that jingle and jangle," said Karen Head, who has created apps to develop children's
social interaction skills. "As a therapist, we want them to listen to us." Jennifer Sullivan, the

4. executive director of the Morgan Autism Center, in San Jose, Calif., which uses iPads and apps
with some of its students, told CIO she has found that some children can get drawn to the
patterns in an app rather than actually learning the content it is trying to provide. "It's a little bit
tricky because it's such a compelling medium for kids with autism," she told the magazine, "they
want to do it intensely." (Shah, 2012).
It can be extremely difficult in today’s fast paced world to get children to focus and when
you through in children affected by autism or ADHD it may seem impossible. Even simple
transitions like a change of activity or location can be confusing or frightening to a child with
autism. Preparing a child by what is next in their day by showing them photos on the iPad may
lessen that anxiety and help the child focus. (Barnett, 2012). Letting the child see what needs to
be done and giving them structure can help motivate and build their self esteem. No child ever
wants to feel as if they cannot achieve their goals, and the iPad can at least help them see that if
they work at a steady pace and follow a schedule you can achieve the goals the teacher sets out
for you. However, many people feel the iPad may be another way to distract these already easily
distracted students. They may use their iPads as toys and spend all day playing games or being
overwhelmed by the many apps on them. I for one say they are a great tool that can be used to
help a student learn as long as we keep a close watch on how the students are using them. As for
the research only time will tell how much of an impact iPads have on our students’ education.
We should at least give iPads the chance to get the research in before we discredit them. If there
is a chance they are helping I believe it is in our best interest to wait until their numbers are in
before shutting any of these programs down.

5. Works Cited
Barnett, M. (2012, March 13). Siskin Institute Uses IPad2 Technology in New Pilot Program. Retrieved
from nooga.com: http://www.nooga.com/154249/siskin-institute-uses-ipad2-technology-in-
new-pilot-program/
Boyd, A. W. (2011, September 11). usatoday.com. Retrieved from usa today:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/wellness/special-needs/story/2011-09-11/Adapting-to-
the-iPad-called-educations-equalizer/50362426/1
Shah, N. (2012, February 17). blogs.edweek.org. Retrieved from edweek.org:
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/speced/2012/02/parents_have_told_me_how.html?qs=iPads