iPads in Education
iPads can be a fantastic tool for nearly all children in terms of education. iPads can allow children who may otherwise have issues with communication be able to express their needs, and help their personalities shine through!
Some great communication based apps that can be accessed through the Apple App Store are:
1. Proloquo2Go (price: $189): Proloquo2Go is a popular app that allows students to fully communicate through the use of programs that employ labeled symbols that use text-to-speech technology. The app boasts "a default vocabulary of over 7,000 items and is fully expandable." (friendshipcircleblog.org) The program can seem daunting at first, but parents/caregivers who are wary about technology are quick to adapt to Proloquo's simple programming features.
2. Yes/No Answers HD (price $3.99): Here is a cheaper, albeit much simpler communication based app. This app allows the individual to simply answer "yes" or "no," it can also be programmed to help demonstrate an individual's ability to choose or decipher between two options. While simple this app can still be individualized through programming, therefore making it accessible to a larger population!
3. All About Me ($2.99): This app is great because of the flexibility it allows its users while also maintaining its ability to communicate vital information. All About Me can be programmed to tell a light-hearted story about the child using it or it can be used to communicate specific instructions for the child's well-being, that they themselves may not be able to say.
4. Speak Easy ($39.99): This app will allow the user to place their communication needs into different categories, similar to Proloquo2Go, but adds the benefit of allowing the user to put together words to form sentences that will be read by the speech synthesizer. This app may be appropriate for more advanced users who wish to utilize the benefits of creating sentences.
By: Cara Clinton
Resources: iPad JPEG: http://www.brightstarcare.com/chicago-/2011/09/20/using-ipads-in-caregiving/ iPad App Reviews/Images: http://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2011/02/07/7-assistive-communication-apps-in-the-ipad-app-store/; http://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2012/10/29/10-great-apps-for-children-with-special-needs/
Speak Easy JPEG: https://itunes.apple.com/tw/app/easy-speak-aac/id449435222?mt=8
iPad App Review: https://www.spectronicsinoz.com/iphoneipad-apps-for-aac