iPad Apps for Autistic and Nonverbal Children

After viewing the Youtube video, iPad Apps for Autistic and Nonverbal Children, I have gained many resources available to help guide learning in the classroom. The speaker in the video, Lauren Meatty, mentioned multiple apps that she uses on a daily basis, primarily for preschool age children who are nonverbal, students with autism, students with Down syndrome, students with communication disorders, or students who have limited physical abilities. One important aspect of her speech was that these apps are used to compliment the everyday learning in the classroom, not to replace it. Students should still engage in “paper/pencil” ordinary tasks but using the Ipads will allow these students to complete tasks independently.  The apps she uses will help students gain independence.

One app she uses is Little Skywriters for an 8 year old student with Down syndrome. This app allows the student to write letters and words with her finger, which is a task she disliked doing with a crayon and paper. Another app she recommended to a college student was Speak It, which helped the student participate in discussions and answer questions by speaking the words she typed. There were many apps mentioned to help students develop mobility and fine motor skills. One app was songs that started to sing only when students pressed the objects. Another was a puzzle app that allowed students to put together pieces to create letters and pictures.  Although we use Ipads in my classroom depending on when we can access them, I would love to integrate Ipads in my classroom on a daily basis. There are so many great apps and software that can benefit different learning needs to help my students reach goals and succeed. Please view the video below to view all of the apps recommended by the speaker. 

Reference:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGU1ELjS7bQ