Educational apps can lead to significant academic and social growth in special needs students.
Built in features on the iPad, like the text-to-speech and highlighting functionalities along side differentiated content in special education apps can accommodate a variety of IEPs and provide students with greater access to academic and social settings.
While educational apps can assist teachers in fostering academic and social success in their special needs students, the success of iPad initiatives is dependent upon the quality of the apps being used. The best iPad special education apps align with students’ learning needs, increase student engagement and focus, and provide clear feedback on student work. Apps should be free of risk factors like advertisements and social media and intuitive enough that students are able to work independently.
Because it can be overwhelming for educators to evaluate the many apps designed for SPED students, eSpark has compiled a list of the 6 best iPad apps for special education classrooms.
1. Proloquo2Go
Developer: AssistiveWare
Price: $249.99
Benefits: This symbol-to-voice app, designed to accommodate a range of abilities, assists nonverbal students in building their communication skills.
2. ConversationBuilder™
Developer: Mobile Education Store LLC
Price: $19.99
Benefits: This app teaches conversational norms in a visual format, allowing students to practice the auditory patterns of conversation with a group.
3. iReward
Developer: Grembe Inc.
Price: $2.99
Benefits: While traditional progress charts can be stigmatizing, this customizable app allows students to track their own behavior and successes with visual rewards.
4. Galaxies by KIDS DISCOVER
Developer: KIDS DISCOVER
Price: Free
Benefits: This interactive astronomy app lets users to take a guided tour through space, design constellations, and get hands-on experience with a telescope.
5. ArtikPix
Developer: Expressive Solutions LLC
Price: Free
Benefits: Designed for children with speech sound delays, this flashcard app can be used alone or in a group.
6. Time Timer
Developer: Time Timer LLC
Price: Free
Benefits: Allows interaction with shapes that would be tricky to manipulate without an iPad
Looking for more differentiated content? eSpark provides a wide variety of standards-based lessons tailored to each of your students' unique needs. Try ieSpark in your classroom today for free!
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