by Guest Blogger Vicki Windman
who are classified as Special Education must have an Individual Education Plan
(IEP). Goals of the IEP include study skills,
reading, math, writing, daily living, and career and transition goals. Throughout the school year teachers are
mandated to follow the student’s IEP and come up with different strategies to
help the child meet his or her planned goals.
has apps useful for children with autism, developmental disability, learning
disability, emotional disability or other health impairments. The apps
listed below will help teachers work with their students to attain their goals. The IEP checklist is great app
specifically for teachers. It allows the
teacher to have his or her students’ IEP information at hand. If you
do put this app on your iPad I would recommend you password lock your iPad as
an IEP is confidential.
following apps would meet IEP goals for students classified autistic and developmentally
One of the
main goals for students on the Autism Spectrum is the ability to answer WH questions.
Super Why is an interactive app
that has four different apps built into one. The app has a listening component as
well as guidance for following directions.
It helps students stay on task and answer WH questions. A new app that really meets the WH goal is Conversation Builder. Pictures
are provided and students record their conversations.
Proloquo2go helps students who have difficulty communicating
to do so effectively. The app provides
pre-set pictures which students select to convey their messages. The display is
set up as a communication board or book making it easy for students to respond
to a peer or an adult. This app was also mentioned in my March blog
range from being able to write a simple sentence to a detailed paragraph, through
the use of a keyboard and/or an assistive technology device. The iPad has
numerous writing apps, sometimes referred to as “note-taking” apps. I still
have not found the perfect note-taking app. For students who have dysgraphia,
the handwriting apps are still difficult. Presently, I like PaperDesk for IEP students. It
allows handwriting for older students, a microphone to record a lesson, and
text with different colors. It also lets
the student import pictures to their work, so it is visual as well.
is an ongoing battle for students. Goals range from being able to read a
digital clock to telling time to the minute. Telling Time HD gives students three different levels, using
both an analog clock and a digital clock, and can be used for many of the
telling time goals.
the next most difficult goal to achieve because it is so abstract. Dittos get boring and do not give a true
representation of coins or bills. Goals
range from making change from a dollar to identifying the four coins. Jungle Coins is a versatile app because it allows the
teacher to set levels for the student, activities include making change,
comparing change, counting change and identifying coins.
sight words is one of the most common goals.
The App store has quite a few to choose from Word Wall Hd has four activities
in a game format. It also allows you the
opportunity to make your own word wall.
Another app that uses Dr. Fry’s Instant Words Kids Learn Sight Words allows
students to record the word, write the word, and use it in a sentence. This app would meet many of the students’ IEP
common reading comprehension goal is for students to be able to answer five comprehension questions and questions
of inference. Reading for Detail and Reading for Inferences allow
students to read a short paragraph and answer questions. The answers are recorded on a bingo card,
making the app more engaging. These apps each contain three levels to meet the
individual needs of the students.
once again gives students and teachers another tool to help make the education
process fun and lets students feel good about who they are.
Vicki Windman is a special education teacher at Clarkstown High School South.