Abstract
Jonah is a 5-year-old student with autism who uses a communication device to help him communicate. Last school year, he used a Tech/Talk with six levels and was doing well with his vocabulary, but his parents requested a meeting with his teachers to discuss the need for a new device and wanted to explore the option of the iPad because it was easily transportable between home and school and more socially acceptable. He likes electronic toys and games, as well as playing with his toy trains. He uses about 15 words to communicate verbally and then uses signs or his communication device to communicate more complex messages. He understands many picture symbols and recently started to use an iPad with all of his symbols on it. After meeting, the individualized education program (IEP) team decided it was a good time to transition to an iPad as his assistive and augmentative communication (AAC) device. Because he liked to play games on his older sister’s iPad and he responded well to the timer his teacher used on the iPad at school to help him transition to new activities, his team thought he would be successful using the iPad on a regular basis. To start the transition process to an iPad, his multidisciplinary team made a list of the goals they had for him when he uses his iPad. They listed the IEP goals he could work on while utilizing the iPad, focusing on his communication and literacy goals. The team wrote IEP goals aimed at beginning reading and writing skills. In addition, the team added one goal to increase his independence in the classroom and to communicate with his peers (see Table 1).
IEP Goals for Jonah
Note. IEP = individualized education program; AAC = assistive and augmentative communication.
In classrooms today, low-tech and high-tech assistive technology supports students like Jonah with developmental disabilities such as autism, intellectual disabilities, and cerebral palsy. Technology tools support students’ academic growth across the curriculum and in the classroom (Edyburn, 2013). Fossett and Mirenda (2006) describe the importance of communication and literacy for students with developmental disabilities: “The ability to read or write supports communication, provides access to information, and allows individuals to conduct both personal and work related business” (p. 412). Literacy skills provide individuals with the ability to participate actively in their environment as individuals (Alberto, Fredrick, Hughes, McIntosh, & Cihak, 2007). Technology is particularly useful in supporting participation in literacy activities in the classroom because the computer or device can provide adaptations to make students more independent in academic activities.
This article—for educators on how to use iPad apps for literacy development for young children with developmental disabilities—briefly reviews the literature on iPad apps for literacy development, examines key apps for literacy development for children with developmental disabilities, and discusses how to incorporate iPad apps into the classroom to support children’s IEP. Throughout the article, the author discusses how Jonah and other students with autism and developmental disabilities can benefit from these strategies and how Jonah’s IEP team chose the apps and strategies that were right for his literacy development. This article looks only at iPad apps. The iPhone and iPod have similar apps, but the small size of these devices makes them difficult to use for literacy and for younger children. Other companies also make handheld tablet computers, but these do not have the range of apps that are available on an iPad, nor the large number of apps focused on children’s early learning.
Current Research on iPad Apps for Literacy Development
According to the Division for Early Childhood (DEC)/National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Joint Position Statement on Inclusion, technology can support all children with various abilities to participate and access the curriculum in early childhood (DEC/NAEYC, 2009). Several researchers have examined the use of touch-screen devices like the iPad for students with developmental disabilities, but few studies have examined the educational use of apps with younger children (Stephenson & Limbrick, 2013). Technology apps are one tool in supporting children with disabilities’ access to curricular content using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework (Puckett, 2011). The iPad provides a portable platform to support literacy, large enough for reading and typing, to which a keyboard is easily attachable, and it uses an operating system (iOS) that includes universal design features to support students with hearing or vision loss or who simply could benefit from these features and the multimodal approach. In a study of the 200 top-selling and popular educational apps in the iTunes Store by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, most apps were targeted at young children and are specifically for early-learning skills (Shuler, Levine, & Ree, 2012).
Empirical research supporting the use of iPads with young children with disabilities is slowly emerging (Aronin & Floyd, 2013); the first iPad was released only in April 2010. On the one hand, a review of iPad literacy apps found that the majority of apps for young children do not go beyond skill and drill and do not fully utilize the interactive features of an iPad (Shuler et al., 2012); on the other hand, in studies of two specific iPhone/iPad apps for literacy instruction for young children, the apps proved to be effective in producing vocabulary and literacy gains for most children in the study ages 3 to 7 (Chiong & Shuler, 2010). Recently, Chai (2012) found improvement and maintenance of early literacy skills, specifically phonological awareness with an iPad app. Apps to teach pre-engineering concepts in a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curriculum were used successfully in an inclusive preschool (Aronin & Floyd, 2013). Several studies have shown children to be successful in the use of smartphones and tablet apps for digital storytelling and literacy development (Bonsignore, 2011; Moody, 2010; Olney, Herrington, & Verenikina, 2008).
In looking at literacy apps for young children, this article focuses on both reading and writing, specifically phonetic/phonemic emergent writing connections, and then comprehension and story/information organization through multiple modes with picture and words. The National Reading Panel determined the big five reading skills to be phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000).
After an assistive technology evaluation, Jonah’s IEP team decided Jonah would try using an iPad as his communication device and to support vocabulary development, but teachers and parents were unsure how to choose apps and which apps would be best for him, given his age, use of a communication device, and interests. They wanted to choose apps that would continue to promote his independence in learning and help him to continue to access the curriculum in his kindergarten classroom. The team examined apps to support his communication skills that could be used in class during daily activities, apps specifically to support reading, and apps to build literacy skills that could be used to supplement instruction at school and at home.
Choosing Apps for Jonah
After reviewing the goals, Jonah’s IEP team made a list of the types of apps they thought would be most helpful in addressing these goals. In the list, the team included an app for communication, so that Jonah could use his iPad as his primary AAC device. Next, they looked for apps to help Jonah create and write stories for writers’ workshop and journaling. Then, they looked for apps that could be used to help Jonah read stories or informational text loaded onto the iPad and that used multimodal features, such as read-aloud, highlighting of words, and promoting comprehension, not just fluency. Finally, they looked for literacy skill-building apps to increase his vocabulary, phonemic awareness, comprehension, and phonics skills (alphabetic principles); these apps could be used at home or school to support in-class literacy instruction and reinforce skills learned to maintain skill fluency and mastery.
Jonah’s parents, kindergarten teacher, special education teacher, and speech-language pathologist started searching for apps that met the above criteria in the iTunes store and using educational technology sites and sites on technology for children with autism and developmental disabilities (see Table 2). After locating several apps, they used rubrics they found, tested the apps, read reviews, and checked for usability and feasibility for their goals. They narrowed the choice down to one app to try in the communication category and several apps for reading, writing, and literacy skill development. They could try more apps for the latter purposes because those apps were mostly free or inexpensive. Communication apps tend to be expensive but quite comprehensive when the full package is purchased. Jonah’s team used different rubrics and evaluation guides for choosing high-quality apps. Figure 1 lists helpful resources for evaluating iPad apps. More and Travers (2013) recommend examining the apps for content and finding apps that use animations that interest the child, such as toy trains for Jonah. Boone and Higgins (2007) recommend that apps allow for interactive and creative play, as well as problem solving. Finally, More and Travers provide an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)/IEP checklist (Figure 2) for embedding apps into classroom activities in an early childhood settings.
iPad Apps to Support Literacy for Children With Developmental Disabilities
Note. Cost: Free = US$0; $ = US$1-4.99; $$ = US$5-20.00; $$$ = over US$20.00; free + $ = initial app is free, but full use incurs additional cost. PCS = picture communication symbols; AAC = assistive and augmentative communication.
iPad evaluation resources
Guide for evaluating educational apps for use in early childhood education
Several of the apps suggested below are expensive. The AAC apps are expensive in comparison to other apps and games commonly used on an iPhone or iPad, but their cost over time is considerably less for the device and the app, compared with purchasing a new AAC device with similar capabilities. Once the app is purchased, it can be used on new iPads when purchased, and software updates are typically free. Furthermore, the app is dynamic and can grow and change with the student without additional cost over time.
“All these apps support literacy development and support greater learning independence.”
Funding the apps and the iPad can be difficult, but it is possible to receive some or full support from insurance companies for AAC users. In addition, teachers can use the websites donorschoose.com and adopt-a-classroom.com to find people interested in supporting technology for classrooms. Parent–teacher associations or philanthropic community organizations may support technology requests for children with disabilities. On itaalk.org, a website and foundation for families of children with autism and other disabilities, the contributors offer ideas for finding grants or other sources to fund iPads and apps for children with disabilities.
iPad Apps for Literacy Activities
As mentioned above, hundreds of apps in the iTunes store can be used for educational purposes and to address literacy development. Using a systematic review of literacy and communication apps with the support of the Van Houten (2011) rubric to assess their quality, several apps were chosen to discuss in this article because of their quality and effectiveness for teaching literacy skills and supporting literacy in the classroom. All these apps support literacy development and support greater learning independence. In addition, they allow customization and support students with prompts and feedback. The apps are divided into categories based on their focus: reading, writing, literacy skill building, or communication. These apps support literacy development in children with a range of disabilities. Specifically, they support IEP goals for students with developmental disabilities and offer the customization and feedback needed to support these students at varied skill levels. In addition, they utilize multiple modes of expression within the app using voice output, written words, and pictures to reinforce concepts and highlight key features (Center for Applied Special Technology [CAST], 2012). Table 2 1 summarizes the cost, primary skills addressed, advantages, and disadvantages of each app discussed below.
For all these apps, students need some fine motor control to be able to touch variously sized letters, words, and buttons on the iPad screen. All apps utilize the universal accessibility features built into the iPad, such as VoiceOver, night mode to provide a dark background, and vibration for alerts.
When using some apps to create books or write stories, students need adult or peer assistance in using computer apps, such as when using Pages, Book Creator, or iBooks Author to create books that can be read on the iPad. These programs allow for high levels of customization, but then do not provide immediate corrective feedback in the same way that the literacy skill development apps do to support skills like phonemic awareness, vocabulary, and spelling. At the same time, students can be creative and express themselves in writing apps. Teachers can use writing apps to create multimodal books or books that focus on the special interests of students and use the specific modifications needed to support their IEP literacy and communication goals.
Reading-Focused Apps
Using the iPad to read books, whether electronic books or eBooks, or using the text-to-speech features of the iPad to read books aloud, can bring books to life in different ways. Research shows that interactive electronic storybooks are more engaging and enhance emergent literacy skills in young children (Lacina & Mathews, 2012; Moody, 2010). For simply reading books aloud with the spoken text being highlighted using a border, students can use the free universal design features on the iPad. Students can activate the VoiceOver feature in the accessibility settings, and the iPad will read any page in a book or online on the iPad. Any text open on the iPad can be read and reread to support reading comprehension and fluency. To address Jonah’s first IEP goal to retell a story, he can use these features to read the story on his own or with peer or adult support.
For more interactive books for students in Grades preK-2, the app Booksy offers leveled books with interactive features, highlighted words during the read-aloud, and comprehension quizzes at the end of the book, which provide immediate feedback and guidance to the correct answers. A teacher can use this app to choose a text on the same topic or choose a leveled text for reading group or independent reading with a child. For example, if a class is learning about insects or penguins, there are leveled books for the child to read using the interactive format and comprehension quiz. The comprehension quiz could be a partner activity after the book has been read. To read the book aloud in Booksy, students must press on the words so that they are actively engaged in the reading. They can record themselves reading the book, and the app will save the recording for a parent or teacher to listen to, e-mail the recordings, and report each book read to an e-mail provided in the parental dashboard. A variety of leveled books can be purchased individually or in themed sets, using key vocabulary and on a variety of topics. A Spanish version with the same set of books is available.
Collins Big Cat books from HarperCollins Publishers offer fun and interactive leveled reading books for children 3 to 5 years old. Eight books are available for download from iTunes, all for free. Children can read them on their own, have them read to them, or record their own narration, along with interactive pictures. A child who has finished reading a story can use the Story Creator mode to retell the story or a variation on it using scenes, characters, and objects from it. Children can place text on the page and record and listen to their narration. The variety of objects and characters helps increase vocabulary and overall expressive language. This app is helpful to teachers who want to work on story retell and story variations with children, and supports Jonah’s Goal 1 (comprehension). Its only limitation is that only eight books are available. These books would work well on an iPad in a reading corner for students to read multiple times, and then they could use writing time to create their own stories.
Literacy Skill-Building Apps
Many apps to build vocabulary, spelling, sight word knowledge, letter–name connections, and letter–sound connections are available. Several of these apps use flashcard or skill-and-drill models, but are more interactive with sound, pictures, and animation on the iPad. The apps selected to discuss here are more interactive and use sound, feedback, and animations in a productive way, not just to make the app showier. The Mayer Johnson apps (http://www.mayer-johnson.com/apps) use the flashcard model or a game model, such as picture communication symbols (PCS) memory, to teach several skills related to vocabulary, phonics, and phonemic awareness. The free app comes with four free sets to use, one in each category. The pictures in the Mayer Johnson apps are the same as the Boardmaker pictures, so this creates consistency across the games, communication boards, and other classroom or home settings when picture communication symbols are used. The flashcard model is not ideal, but these apps are flexible enough to incorporate sound, verbal reinforcement, the use or nonuse of text labels, and the use or nonuse of animations. In addition, children can start with only a few options and progress to more difficult games and tasks. The options within any one of the Mayer Johnson apps are many, but these options require additional purchases. Each of these apps can be used with a switch for greater accessibility.
In a center with an iPad or during an independent work time, these apps are ideal to reinforce the big five reading concepts. They are accessible independently to students who have the fine motor control or independent use of a switch to control the game. They can be used in a center as a game, such as the PCS Memory app to reinforce concepts, as well as to teach cooperation and turn taking. For Jonah, these apps support skill building necessary for addressing vocabulary and phonics (Goal 2).
Grasshopper apps, like Little Speller, Sentence Maker, and Little Reader are all fully customizable apps that offer many sound, picture, and voice choices, as well as options such as the type of words used, such as consonant–vowel–consonant (CVC) words with specific vowel sounds or a mixed set of words. Teachers and caregivers can add or change words, pictures, or sounds in the game. Each of these apps focuses on different skills. These customization features help teachers and parents focus on specific skills or concepts the child needs to work on, as well as allow the incorporation of motivating sounds and pictures at no additional cost. Other Grasshopper apps focus on literacy skills for children from preschool through second grade. This group of apps focuses more on phonics, vocabulary, and phonemic awareness, like Mayer Johnson apps, but they can be used independently by students during centers or during seatwork time to increase skills on a specific area, such as CVC words or using a preprogrammed set of vocabulary or spelling words for the week. Using these apps, students can access the same content as their peers in a more interactive way, or they can work on the same skills using word lists and content at their instructional level. Jonah can use these apps to address Goal 2 (vocabulary and phonics), but could also use Sentence Maker to work on Goal 3 (comprehension) to scaffold him to be able to independently write multiword sentences.
Finally, the Splingo app teaches children skills for following directions and developing vocabulary and executive-functioning skills needed for more advanced literacy development. This app is recommended by the American Speech and Hearing Association and recommended by speech-language pathologists (Gosnell, 2011). Children practice language and listening skills by following directions from an interactive alien guiding the child through the activity. This app specifically develops oral language skills and executive functioning by asking children to following increasingly complex directions in the game. It is best suited for Grades K-3. This is a great app for working on language skills when there is a break or extra time. Because it is individual and leveled, only one student can play it at a time. The teacher can set it up in a corner for a student who finishes another activity early, or can use it as a fun break from other academic work. While this app does not specifically address any of Jonah’s goals, he can use it to build the vocabulary and sequencing skills to work on Goals 1 and 2 (vocabulary, comprehension, and phonics).
Reading and Writing Apps
The iPad apps designed for reading and writing allow students, educators, and family members to create stories to support literacy and social skills and to help students participate with their peers in their literacy blocks (reading and writing workshops). Pictello is an app by AssistiveWare, the same company that makes Proloquo2go. Pictello offers an easy-writing mode using a writing wizard so that children can create books and read independently, and it offers a fully customizable editor mode for advanced design and content. The stories created are multimodal, so that children with disabilities can read them over and over independently and share their thoughts and experiences with peers and adults. This app can be used not only for literacy but also for social stories, notes between school and home about the day or weekend, and many other purposes. It works in 6 languages, and stories can be written and read in 23 languages and 50 voices. Pictello is useful for any writing project: daily journals, creative writing in writers’ workshop, or sentence or essay writing for various content areas. It is versatile and can be placed on a student’s individual iPad, as was done with Jonah, or be used on a center iPad, where students with a range of writing abilities can use it to contribute to a writing prompt or to write sentences about what the students did at the center. Jonah can work on Goals 1, 3, and 5 using Pictello.
Puppet Pals is a free app that can be used to create animated stories for children using various characters and backgrounds. It has a lot of versatility, and provides characters that can be used for fun stories that the children create or for creating social stories using puppets. Additional characters and backgrounds, including a director’s pass to open access to all the extra content, can be obtained at extra cost. Some children may relate better to cartoon characters and be more receptive to reading or writing stories with these options. Unfortunately, students can only narrate their stories orally, without adding text. This app can serve as a fun storytelling tool and a bridge between oral and written narration.
Story Creator is a free app that allows children to use their imaginations to write, draw, use pictures, and say whatever they want. With it, a child or an adult can create an interactive story. An inexpensive Pro version provides more layouts and customization options. However, users have commented that it is difficult to share stories with others from this app. Like Pictello, it can be used by Jonah to work on Goals 1, 3, and 5 (comprehension, vocabulary, phonics, and phonemic awareness).
Communication-Focused Apps
Many AAC apps for the iPad are expensive (US$50-US$220), but offer vastly customizable options allowing for various screens, themed sections, use of one’s own pictures and images, and options for voice output. Some provide a free or cheaper limited edition for trial purposes, but require a subscription or additional fee to make the app fully functional and customizable. Both TaptoTalk and MyTalk Tools Mobile use this model. If the family or teacher purchases the TaptoTalk Designer for full app functionality and customization, the library and communication books/boards are available across all devices, including an iPhone, an iPad, web apps, and several other formats. With MyTalk Tools Mobile, libraries and content are available wirelessly across devices with the purchase of the MyTalk Workspace. These apps are general-use AAC programs that can be programmed with all the vocabulary that a child might use in natural settings on a daily basis. Both these apps can be used with a switch. They are most useful for addressing Jonah’s IEP Goals 4 (vocabulary and expressive communication) and 6 (vocabulary and communicative independence; see Table 1).
iCommunicate is a basic communication app that allows the educator or parent to create communication boards and visual schedule templates that closely resemble traditional printed communication boards. This app might work well for students who have responded well to printed communication boards and are transitioning from low-tech communication boards to a higher-tech talking communication board on an iPad. It would be beneficial as one AAC tool in an arsenal of total communication tools for students with disabilities where preprogrammed communication boards could be used in a literacy center and the iPad would sit in the center for the use of children who might need it to communicate with each other and participate in literacy activity, such as a spelling game or taking turns reading in a small reading group with key vocabulary from the story. This app addresses Jonah’s Goals 2 (vocabulary and phonics) and 4 (vocabulary and expressive communication).
Proloquo2go, the most expensive AAC app available, uses two research-based vocabulary systems: Basic Communication and Core Word (AssistiveWare, 2012). Core word vocabulary is a subset of basic words, in any language, that are used frequently and across many contexts and age groups (Cross, Baker, Klotz, & Badman, 1997). Basic communication vocabulary is designed for individuals who speak in one- or two-word phrases and organize their communication around activities or topics. It has been used in studies evaluating the use of touch-screen devices for students with disabilities, and research supports its effectiveness (Achmadi, 2010; Sennott & Bowker, 2009; Stephenson & Limbrick, 2013). Both types of vocabularies are supported by research on picture communication symbols and AAC (PACER Center, 2009). While Proloquo2go costs the most money, it can be used across iOS devices with or without a switch, and it can be customized at no additional cost. A disadvantage at this time is that this app functions only in English. The use of both research-based vocabularies makes it versatile and supports students in communication and literacy as their skills grow and they become more proficient AAC users. It has many uses for educators and students: Students like Jonah can use it as a communication tool between the student and adults and peers (Goals 4 and 6), as a communication board for specific customized vocabulary for specific stories and lessons (Goals 2 and 5), as a tool to practice new vocabulary and sentence formation (Goals 2 and 3), and as a tool to retell and write stories (Goals 1 and 2). However, its fluent use requires training and practice by students and educators and/or parents. To use it effectively, students need to be able to make choices and navigate multiple display pages/boards. Therefore, it is not recommended for beginning AAC users, but it can be used after some fluency is obtained and a child has a receptive and expressive vocabulary of at least 100 words.
A Look Back at Jonah
Jonah’s team reviewed all the apps in Table 1 for the iPad that would support his literacy development. Based on his interests in cartoons and multimedia apps, the team decided to start by loading Story Creator, Pictello, and Puppet Pals onto his iPad to support reading fluency and comprehension and story writing. They downloaded the Collins Big Cat free books for quiet reading time. His kindergarten teacher thought the Booksy app offered several useful features, such as comprehension quizzes, but the team decided that it would be more appropriate when he was older and able to access the content more independently. The team chose some of the Grasshopper apps focused on vocabulary and phonemic awareness for him to use during independent work time or at home with his family to work on beginning reading, spelling, and grammar. Finally, his parents decided to buy Proloquo2go because of the research evidence for the vocabularies included and the option to transition to the Core Vocabulary on the same program and device when he got older. The team supported these choices, and all staff members were trained in the use of the apps and the iPad. Over the next year, Jonah made progress in his communication and literacy skills and continued to love to use his iPad and show his teachers and peers his favorite stories. His parents were happy to have a device that was easier to program with his communication boards, which would give them more time to enjoy family time together, with Jonah as an active participant. Jonah loves using his new iPad. He was more interested in using it to communicate and show his skills to his classmates than he had been with his Tech Talk communicator. The transition from a Tech Talk communication device to an iPad was made easier because there were several apps to choose from, each with large libraries of pictures. Jonah enjoys communicating on his iPad, and he uses it for educational games as a reward for his hard work. His motivation to use it is helping him practice his literacy skills and engage in reading and writing on a daily basis in his kindergarten classroom.
“Students can use an iPad to engage with a book and the same literacy activities as their peers with print books using its interactive features.”
Students can use an iPad to engage with a book and the same literacy activities as their peers with print books using its interactive features. Jonah’s teacher, Ms. Johnson, created story activities for Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey on the iPad. Before reading the book during large-group time, she reviewed new key vocabulary in the book—words such as ducklings, hatch, molt, responsibility, and beckon—with picture symbols and written and spoken words in an app for pre-teaching for Jonah. She provided Jonah with his own copy of the book on the iPad to follow along with picture symbols for the key vocabulary words. After reading the book, Jonah could practice making sentences with key vocabulary words using a sentence-building app that Ms. Johnson had programmed into his iPad. In the Grasshopper apps, she created word/picture matching and sentences for the story to reinforce vocabulary. Jonah had to arrange the words to create the correct sentence using his knowledge of the story, sentence structure, and vocabulary. This activity can be scaffolded so he can start by using the book for reference to match the sentences, and then gradually he can put the sentences together without support from the book.
“Apps for literacy can enhance learning for all children, but can especially support meaningful participation in the curriculum and literacy instruction for children with disabilities, like Jonah, by giving them a voice and providing scaffolding and electronic support for creativity and critical thinking.”
After reading the book, students can write about it in their journal. In Pictello, Jonah could create his own duck story with pictures, sounds, and words. He uses his story-building app with the key vocabulary, as well as other important words for the story or typical words. Ms. Johnson loaded the McCloskey book into Story Creator so Jonah could read it again and again. Using coordinated iPad apps and vocabulary across all literacy activities discussed here will increase the efficiency of vocabulary and skill acquisition, since students with disabilities are using a consistent set of pictures across lessons and environments in the classroom. Each strategy discussed above supports a student’s multiple means of expression to retell story elements or practice sequencing using an electronic communication board with vocabulary from the story (CAST, 2012). These apps may not be appropriate for all children with developmental disabilities, but they have been systematically evaluated and found to be among the best available to address literacy development through interactivity, creativity, and customization.
Conclusion
Access to educational apps and technology like iPads increases every day, as they become cheaper and more thoroughly incorporated into the fabric of life. The flexibility of iPads to use multiple apps with customization will help children with disabilities who use AAC to communicate more fluently and independently. An iPad can be used as a communication device and a computer to access and supplement curricular content. Apps for literacy can enhance learning for all children, but can especially support meaningful participation in the curriculum and literacy instruction for children with disabilities, like Jonah, by giving them a voice and providing scaffolding and electronic support for creativity and critical thinking. Apps that support vocabulary development, articulation, phonics, and phonemic awareness offer supplemental practice opportunities that children with disabilities can independently access on the iPad and address any areas of concern in their fundamental literacy skills.
Technology is not the only way to support literacy development, and these apps are just one tool in a multifaceted, multimodal literacy program for children with disabilities. Not all apps are well designed for children or for children with disabilities, despite their marketing to children or families with children with disabilities. Parents and educators need to be critical consumers, using strategies and information from credible sources to find the best and most appropriate apps for a child’s strengths and needs. iPads support independent access to the general education curriculum when their use is scaffolded by parents and educators, and apps are chosen to meet the child’s unique strengths, needs, and preferences.
Footnotes
Author’s Note
You may reach Angi Stone-MacDonald by e-mail at