"iPads to support the learning of children with special needs"
by Megan Matia and Sue Grenfell of Summerland Primary.
Loads to take in here!! Information overload - brain clogged!!! - but all awesomely fascinating and valuable.
My notes/copied info from session:
Research:
Some research has shown that the
special needs students who have
benefitted from the use of the touch
screen iPads, include those with autism,
attention deficit disorder(ADD), dyslexia
and auditory processing issues.
Research in this area is vast and ongoing.
Autism and iPads:
Below are 5 basic skills
which autistic children learn by
playing games and puzzles
on their iPad:
Social skills
Fine motor skills
Language and communication skills
Sensory skills
Stress reduction
Mark Coppin, the Assistive Technology Director at the
Anne Carlsen Center in
Jamestown, North Dakota
says that the iPad is used
in their special education
programs for autistic
children; the hands-on design of
the iPad interface is
much simpler for autistic children
to use than a keyboard and monitor.
Here are 10 popular iTunes apps
which are marketed towards parents and educators of children with autism:
Proloquo2Go Highly recommended for kids and adults with autism,
cerebral palsy, Down syndrome,developmental disabilities, apraxia, ALS, stroke
or traumatic brain injury, this app-turned-AAC device utilizes
colorful stick-figure illustrations and features an up-to-date vocabulary,
text-to-speech voices and automatic conjugations.
Grace This innovative app allows special-needs children to
communicate through complete sentences by
linking together colorful images
and symbols in this fully customizable application.
iCommunicate for iPad Create pictures, flashcards, storyboards, routines, visual
schedules and recordcustom audio in any language with this versatile program;
incorporates pictures from your camera orGoogle images. Helps to teach social
skills for children with autism.
First Then Visual Schedule Ease transitioning for children with developmental
delays such as Autism Spectrum Disorders by introducing this easy-to-customize
scheduler into your special-needs curriculum.
iConverse An inexpensive program designed for iPhone and iPod
touch, this app functions as a picture exchange communication system (PECS) for
autistic children and autistic adults alike, as well as others with
communicative disabilities.
AutismExpress This free app displays basic facial expressions in a
way which is comical and instructional; excellent for children who have
difficulty understanding emotions.
stories2learn Illustrate your own social stories for children with
autism, using pictures, text and audio with this customizable program geared
towards enriching the curricula of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
(ASD).
MyTalk Mobile The MyTalk Mobile is an AAC device for iPad, iPhone and
iPod touch; it also boasts the “My Talk Workspace,” which saves all info on a
backup file in case of device crashing.
TapToTalk Make your own AAC albums with this app, currently
including a library of 2,000 pics. Children can tap on each image to hear fun
audio.
iComm Children who have cerebral palsy or autism will
appreciate this fundamental communication system; iComm is an affordable
alternative to many of the pricier communication devices.
P.s the stories2learn - looked pretty good - so will investigate when I have time : )
Other
Apps and information:
Autism
Apps is a free app which gives a
comprehensive
list of apps that are being
used
with and by people diagnosed with
autism,
Down syndrome and other special
needs.
Youtube
video: search ‘iPad Apps for
Autistic and
Nonverbal Children’
Interesting sites:
5522/
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