The key ways iPads can help your SEN students

iPads can help your SEN students learn and thrive. They offer opportunities for improved communication, education and more, and could make a real difference in your classroom.

How iPads can help your SEN students

There are several ways in which iPads can help your SEN students. Take a look:

Accessibility features

In general, touch screens are more intuitive devices than computers. The latter requires students to visually shift between the mouse, keyboard and display whereas iPads the students can watch directly as fingers move over the screen.

This helps SEN students improve their fine motor skills, and seems almost second nature to students with Autism.

iPads have built-in accessibility features. Here are just a few settings you could try with your SEN students:

• VoiceOver
• Zoom
• White on Black
• Speak Auto-Text

Portable

A huge benefit of the iPad is that it’s completely portable. This is great for SEN students as they may have certain places in which they’d prefer to work – such as a quiet space away from other students.

iPads can also be easily placed to accommodate a variety of positions, including seated, supine, prone and lying down. This allows SEN students to learn in a position that’s comfortable for them.

For students with physical disabilities, many companies have created accessories to mount iPads on to wheelchairs, desks, and other surfaces, to make them easier to use.

Motivation

Many conditions leave students less motivated to complete certain tasks. Autistic children, for example, are often highly disengaged from learning to write. But iPads help SEN students overcome this lack or motivation by introducing an element of interactivity and fun into even everyday tasks. Many teachers find that iPads are especially useful when teaching autistic children how to write.

The touch technology has several interactive features that facilitate this:

• Drag and drop
• Tap
• Swipe
• Shake
• Drawing

Integrate SEN students into the classroom

Sadly, there is sometimes a slight barrier between SEN students and the rest of the class. iPads can help break this barrier down.

If everyone in the class is using iPads, SEN students will really feel involved in the classroom activities and have the opportunity to take part in interactive learning sessions.

Through iPads, SEN students can communicate more effectively with their classmates and teachers. Non-verbal students can use touch-to-speak technology, as well as images, to express their feelings and desires.

Specific apps for SEN students

There are well over 20,000 education apps for the iPad. They help students of all ages and abilities learn and engage with other students.

SEN students can use these apps to learn at their own pace. We suggest finding educational apps based on activities they like or activities they enjoy as that will pique their interest.

The App Store has a specific section for special education. Apps within it cover communication, emotional development, seeing & hearing, language development, literacy and learning, organisation and even diagnostics and reference.

Take the time to understand your student’s needs, then suggest a few apps from this range they might enjoy or need.

So there you have it – a quick overview of how iPads can help SEN students thrive in their learning environment. Why not take a look at the apps available, and consider introducing iPads into your classrooms today?

Get in touch to find out how Utility Rentals can help source your school’s iPads.