Review: Top iPad Guide for Teaching Special Needs Students

Since the Spring of 2010, more and more schools are using the iPad in mainstream educational courses to give students a hands-on experience to learning. iPads make it easy to research information on the spot, quiz students on new knowledge, and keep track of multiple textbooks with its ease-of-use and abundance of apps.
What’s more, iPads multi-sensory design, which meets a wide range of learning styles, makes it ideal for teaching students with increased learning needs. Brian S. Friedlander and Christine Besko-Maughan published “Enhancing Learning & Communication for Students With Special Needs,” a six-page reference guide to using the iPad in the classroom.
This is an excellent personal digital learning guide for any educator who is working with students who have learning disabilities, ADD or ADHD, communication impairments, autism spectrum disorders, speech or language delays, or cognitive difficulties. The guide delivers technical tips, 15 classroom activities, links to more than 20 resourceful sites, and 40 effective free and cheap apps for teaching:

• Communication skills
• Scheduling and social skills
• Speech and language development
• Reading
• Writing
• Science
• Organization
• Social Studies, and
• Math with special needs students.

The guide also includes basics about the iPad’s features and additional “peripherals” or accessories that can improve the experience such as keyboards, stylists, stands, speakers and printers. This makes it a great tool for the educator who is just getting started with the iPad.
Friedlander and Besko-Maughan’s guide will give you the tools to integrate the iPad investment into nearly every lesson in the classroom, providing a more interactive and engaging experience for your 21st century students. To learn more about the laminated reference guide, visit the National Professional Resources website.