Kids with special needs and Technology

Kids with special needs and Technology
 

Apps are the big thing now with every teenager.  They are also becoming quite the thing with special needs kids.  App makers are realizing not only their benefits through resources but also because it seems to be a breakthrough for many kids with special needs.  One such app is “Touch” for kids with Autism.  Used typically with an iPad, an object appears on the screen that the child will touch with his or her finger.  This app will help the child develop their gross and fine motor skills.  Many special education departments are utilizing “touch.” Another common app is called “Calm Counter.”  Used with a variety of special needs, this app is typically used in anger management.  The app allows the student to express his or her feelings by choosing different “faces” that correspond to their individual feelings.  Once they pick a corresponding “face,” the app talks to them and helps provide a therapy to calm the child.  Another app worth noting is called “ASLSpeechBuddy.”  This app is specifically designed for a child who is hearing impaired.  The app will first show a picture of an object of an action and then, once the correct icon is pressed, the ASL (American Sign Language) is demonstrated.  Once the student reaches a certain level of expertise, the ASL is giving first and the child with special needs will then be asked to select the correct object or action that corresponds to the sign language.  Apps are all the rage on Perterest and other similar sites.