Fun, Friendly Apps For Helping Young Special Education Students

When raising or teaching a special education student, there are many variables that you need to consider in order to get a child to perform well in the classroom setting. Depending on the level of disability the child might need aid in anything from speech and motor control to learning how to adapt to verbal and social cues.

For many children these abilities are within their reach, and providing them a helpful resource like fun educational apps can encourage them to develop and understanding of and grasp these concepts on their own.

 These apps feel more like games, and will be fun in both appearance and engagement. Different apps address different issues, such as trouble with auditory changes, social situations, non-verbal communication and other areas related to special needs. As your child plays the game, they’ll learn to improve in the areas that they’re struggling with.

Picking the right game for each child is also very important, but here we provide a list of some of the exceptional apps that meet a wide range of student’s needs.

1. ArtikPix

Designed for children with speech and sound delays, ArtikPix uses flashcards and matching games to help kids improve and develop in these areas. The app also uses child-friendly language, however it can be used in conjunction with a speech pathologist.

2. Proloquo2Go

This app is expensive, but it’s highly advanced and worth every penny if you have a child who can’t speak or who has trouble speaking.

Using images, symbols and typed text, even children with severe disabilities can communicate and improve their ability to speak using this app. They’ll be given words with symbols and characters that they can use to quickly communicate what they’re thinking and how they’re feeling.

There’s less of an educational aspect to this app, but it’s still highly effective in terms of improving quality of life and helping children with speech disabilities have the chance to communication.

3. Phonics Genius

This is simply one of the most comprehensive and detailed phonics apps available, and is all about helping kids decipher words by their sounds. The app breaks words down into several pieces and goes through the sounds one at a time.

4. Speech with Milo

With fun characters and a game-like user interface, Speech with Milo takes kids through animated sequencing exercises that are designed to improve speech and build social skills.

The typical format of the game is to give the child a series of cards that show different things happening, both in words and picture and then let the child rearrange the cards in the correct order.

5. The Social Express

This app is designed for those with high-functioning aspergers or a similar condition and is incredibly detailed and effective in its approach. The interface uses 3D characters to portray certain social scenarios and then allows the user to interact and make decisions in those situations.

Like Proloquo2Go, the app is a bit pricey, but is certainly worth the investment if your child’s condition applies.

Therapy Supplement

While you can’t replace therapy with an iPad app, you can effectively supplement it by getting your child involved with some of these tools. They’ll view the game aspect of it as fun and will teach them key social and academic tools without them even realize they are being taught.

Utilizing technology is a great way to get in touch with your child and help them develop, which will only enhance their performance in the classroom.