This slideshow covers the latest information regarding iPads for children with special needs. iOS 8 and accessibility are highlighted as well as free, paid, and specialized apps that span reading, writing, math, communication, social skills, organization, and more. Several implementation ideas are provided with best practices to effectively implement iPad apps for children with special needs.

1. Using iPads in the Classroom for
Children with Special Needs
Eric Sailers, M.A., CCC-SLP | Expressive Solutions

2. Icebreaker

3. Disclosures
Owner of Expressive Solutions
Trainer for n2y
Consulted for Assistiveware

4. Giveaway
Participation - Entries in the giveaway
Giveaway - iTunes cards will be given away

5. Overview
Intro
Best Practices
iPad Essentials
iOS 8
iOS 8 Accessibility
Built-in Apps
Free, Paid, Specialized Apps

6. Intro

7. iPad is a tool for…
Communication
Organization
Reading
Writing
Math
Social Skills
Playing

10. Nearly 7 years

11. Over 75 billion downloads

12. Nearly 700,000 iPad apps

13. App craze?

14. Appsolutely

15. Best
Practices

16. EBP
Current Best Evidence
Clinical Expertise Client/PatientValues
Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)
The goal of EBP is the integration of:
(a) clinical expertise,
(b) best current evidence, and
(c) client/patient perspectives
to provide high-quality services
reflecting the interest, values, needs,
and choices of the individuals we serve
(ASHA, 2011).

17. Find & Evaluate Apps
YouTubeApp Store Facebook
iTunes App Store Word of mouth
Facebook and Twitter SETT Framework
YouTube videos Feature matching
Websites and blogs App evaluation rubric

18. App Evaluation Rubric
Domain 4 3 2 1
Curriculum
Connection
Targeted skill or concept is
directly taught through the
app
Skill(s) reinforced are related
to the targeted skill or
concept
Skill(s) reinforced are
prerequisite or foundation
skills for the targeted skill or
concept
Skill(s) are not connected to
the targeted skill or concept
Authenticity
Targeted skills are practiced
in an authentic format/
problem-based learning
environment
Some aspects of the app are
presented in an authentic
learning environment
Skills are practiced in a
contrived game/simulation
format
Skills are practiced in a rote
or isolated fashion (e.g.,
flashcards)
Feedback
Feedback is specific
resulting in improved
performance; Data is
available electronically to
student and/or teacher
Feedback is specific and
results in improved
student performance
(may include tutorial aids)
Feedback is limited to
correctness of student
responses & may allow for
student to try again
No feedback is provided to
the student
Differentiation
App offers complete
flexibility to alter settings to
meet student needs
App offers more than one
degree of flexibility to adjust
settings to meet student
needs
App offers limited flexibility
(e.g., few levels such as
easy, medium, hard)
App offers no flexibility
(settings cannot be altered)
User Friendliness
Students can launch and
navigate within the app
independently
Students need to have the
teacher review how to the
use the app
Students need to have the
teacher review how to the
use the app on more than
one occasion
Students need constant
teacher supervision in order
to use the app
Motivation
Students are highly
motivated to use the app
and select it as their first
choice from a selection of
related apps
Students will use the app as
directed by the teacher
Students view the app as
“more schoolwork” and may
be off-task when directed by
the teacher to use the app
Students avoid the use of the
app or complain when the
app is assigned by the
teacher
Student
Performance
Students show outstanding
improvements in
performance as a result of
using the app
Students show satisfactory
improvements in
performance as a result of
using the app
Students show minimal
improvements in
performance as a result of
using the app
Students show no evidence
of improved performance as
a result of using the app
Created by Harry Walker – Johns Hopkins University -10/18/2010; Revised & empirically validated 10/14/2012
Please contact for permission to use harry.walker@comcast.net

19. iPad
Essentials

20. iPad Essentials
Shortcuts
Spotlight search & multi-tasking
Control Center
Camera
Camera nav, focus & zoom
Safari
Search and save images
Photos
Create an album and add photos
Reorder the photos

22. Tips & Tricks

23. Tips & Tricks

24. iOS 8

25. iOS 8 Adoption Rate
28%
68%
4%
68% of devices run iOS 8
iOS 8
iOS 7
Earlier
As measured by the App Store on January 5, 2015

26. iOS 8 Features
Keyboards
Built-in QuickType, 3rd Party (e.g., Keeble)
Camera
Timer, Time-lapse
Spotlight & Siri
Enhanced search results
“Hey Siri” (enabled & plugged in) - hands-free

27. iOS 8 Features
Photos
Search
Albums (Camera Roll, Favorites, Recently Deleted)
Messages
Audio, Photo, and Video messaging
iCloud
Family Sharing

28. iOS 8
Accessibility

29. iOS 8 Accessibility
HearingVision
Learning Interaction
Media
Symbols by Symbolstix

30. Settings > General > Accessibility

34. iOS 8 Accessibility
Vision
Zoom with Zoom Controller
Grayscale
Speech - Alex & Speak Screen
Media
Subtitles & Captioning
Learning
Guided Access - TouchID & Time Limits
Interaction
Switch Control - Menu enhancements

35. Built-in
Apps

36. Built-in vs. 3rd Party Apps
Built-in 3rd party
Pre-installed Download on App Store
Free Free or Paid
Always updated May/may not be updated
Not specialized Specialized options
Built-in accessibility Built-in accessibility?

37. Ideas for Built-in Apps
Clock - set a timer for an activity
Calendar - schedule meetings
Photos - create flashcards and wordless picture books
Notes - write a story retell
Reminders - create a checklist for an IEP meeting
Camera - take photos and video for social language

38. Free
Apps

39. Free Apps
Draw Free TinyTap Pic Collage
BrainPOP Splash Math 1-5Class Dojo

40. Draw Free
Write a sentence starter
Draw a picture of a story (e.g., This is not my hat.)
Make a first, then board

41. TinyTap
Play a demo
Create a receptive language task
Include questions and feedback

42. Pic Collage
Make a poster
Make an AAC board
Create a schedule

43. Show & Tell

44. Free Apps
Starfall Free ABCmouse - Early
Toca Kitchen Monsters Educreations Tynker
Endless Reader

45. Paid
Apps

46. Paid Apps
Inspiration Maps Toca Town
Homes Toontastic Daniel Tiger
Book Creator

47. Book Creator
Add text, images, and video to your story
Add accessibility descriptions to your images
Export your story to iBooks and email

48. Toca Town
Explore a location in the town
Talk about actions for given objects at the location
Talk about expected behaviors at the location

49. Toontastic
Create a cartoon with animations and storytelling
Talk about the story elements
Play the cartoon

50. Paid Apps
Wheels on Bus Alphabet
Handwriting Bob Books Draw & Tell
Peakaboo Barn

51. EBP for Wheels on the Bus
Evidence Implementation
Present grammatical models in well-
formed phrases and sentences (Fey,
Long, & Finestack, 2003).
Telegraphic and agrammatical, “Bus
move” vs. grammatical sentence: “The
bus is moving.”
Provide expansions during language
interactions (Hancock & Kaiser, 2006).
Child says, “Bus”; Adult says, “Big yellow
bus,” or “Drive yellow bus.”
Use sentence recasts to contrast child
and adult forms (Camarata & Nelson,
2006; Fey, Long, & Finestack, 2003).
Recast: Child says, “He jump”; Adult says,
“He is jumping.”
Ask open-ended questions and provide
adequate wait time (Warren et. al, 2006).
Adult asks, “Why is he sleeping? How did
he get messy?”
In addition to grammatical forms, enhance
social, lexical, and literacy skills (Fey,
Long, & Finestack, 2003).
For social skills, Adult says, “When we get
cake, we say thank you.”

52. Favorites

53. Specialized
Apps

54. Specialized Apps
Pictello Reader
Proloquo2Go News-2-You Choiceworks
ArtikPix Levels

55. ArtikPix Levels
Add two or more students and customize their profiles
Implement the students in an activity
Create a custom deck, then implement it with a student

56. EBP for ArtikPix Levels
Evidence Implementation
Treat nonstimulable, later developing
sounds to yield more change (Gierut
2007).
Select one or more decks for the following
sounds: th, r, s, z, blends.
Randomized practice leads to faster
progress and generalization (Gierut, 2001).
Target multiple sounds and positions, mix
the various levels, and vary the number of
productions per card.
of productions per card.
Correct placement is essential to progress
(Secord, 2007).
Model placement and/or use a tongue
depressor in conjunction with the built-in
camera.
Mass practice is essential to progress
(Skelton, 2004).
Target multiple productions per card and
collect scores for each.
Cognitive monitoring of production is
essential to progress (Ertmer &
Ertmer, 1998).
Children watch/listen to their recordings,
then collect scores. Use the undo feature
for any tallying mistakes.

57. Sound Development Chart

58. News-2-You
Play the first page of the newspaper article
Interact with the review page
Interact with the think page

59. Choiceworks
Create a visual schedule
Save or print as PDF
Share schedule via email

60. Proloquo2Go
Add a user with Core Word vocabulary
Change the appearance
Customize vocabulary for the user

61. EBP for Proloquo2Go
Evidence Implementation
Provide aided AAC models and recasts
for symbol combinations (Binger &
Light, 2007).
Adult selects two or more items to model
communication.
Provide aided AAC models and recasts
for grammatical morphemes (Binger,
Macguire-Marshall, Kent-Walsh, 2011).
After a child uses a noun or verb without
the correct ending, the adult selects the
item.
Use AAC to develop phonological and
literacy skills (Light & Drager, 2007).
Practice spelling CVC words (e.g., dog).
Increase participation and social
interactions (Light & Drager, 2007).
Facilitate greetings and topic initiation to
improve social interactions.
Core words enable syntactic, semantic,
and pragmatic functions (Banajee,
Dicarlo, & Stricklin, 2003).
Use core vocabulary organization to
express a variety of language functions.

62. Specialized Apps
Writer GoTalk Now
Money Up Clicker Sentences Splingo
Percentally Pro

63. Specialized Apps
Let’s Be Social Behavior Tracker Pro
Verbs with Milo WH Questions Shop ’n’ Pay
Wonkidos Friends

64. Watch

65. Contact
Email - eric@expressive-solutions.com
Twitter - @ExpressiveSols
Facebook - ExpressiveSolutionsLLC
Website - expressive-solutions.com