This year, many students will be getting iPads and iPod touches for the holidays. Humor has it that some of our schools in the district also will be purchasing iPads for use with students and staff in their buildings; now that is exciting!.
There are 1,000s of apps and it can be challenging to sort through and know just what is out there and useful for students. There are a number of online resources available to help you sort through the maze. Of course you can start with the Apple Store and do a search via the online store. You can search through their categories (they even have a category for Special Education apps) or do a search for specific types of apps for which you have an interest (e.g. reading, autism, social). Various groups have assembled a list of "special education apps" that they feel are useful for students. Check out this list or you might find something different here.
There also are a growing number of websites that regularly update their lists and recommendations of apps:
iPad Apps for Autism A Google docs site maintained by Ms. Rosa that grew out of a project she did for the Hollyrod Foundation. The apps she has reviewed and recommended are classified into categories like art, language and music. Jordan Sadler, a professional speech therapist in Chicago, and Corina Becker, an adult with autism, are among the main reviewers.
a4cwsn.com This site, which stands for Apps for Children With Special Needs, features 500 video reviews done by Gary James of Oxford, Conn., who has a son with autism and a daughter with epilepsy. He says he has reviewed some 5,000 apps, but only lists reviews of apps that he believes do what they promise. If an app passes that test and is listed, developers can pay to be on the home page of his site.
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iAutism.info This database contains over 400 apps for iPad/iPhone and nearly 70 for Android. The site was started by Francesc Sistach and his wife, Susana Vila, who live in Spain. Iván Soriano, another parent of a child with autism, is also a main reviewer.
There also are a couple of free apps that you can purchase through the app store; one is called "Autism Apps" and the other is called “Moms with Apps”. Both provide a catalog of great children’s and family-family apps. Search by educational categories and age groups to discover new apps and developers.
I hope that you find these resources helpful in making choices and recommendations regarding apps to use with students with whom you support.
