Article to support Ipads

The positive impact of iPads for people with disabilities

October 11, 2011 | Author Beth

The positive impact of iPads for people with disabilities

Yes we know, everybody wants an iPad, they are one of the must-have items of the 21^st century and if you haven’t got one, chances are you’re lusting after one. Despite their cult status as a symbol of power and technological prowess, there is evidence to suggest iPads are actually improving the lives of those with disabilities in a number of unexpected ways. Here we discuss just a few of the ways that an iPad can have a positive impact on a person with various disabilities.

1. For Communication

Before the development of the iPad and its release on the general market, devices which use text-to-speech or touch-to-speak technology were extremely expensive, You would have been looking at, at least £1000 for a remotely serviceable device but now you can get your iPad for less than £400 and touch-to-speak apps such as Proloquo2go can be found for less than £120. This is extremely beneficial and can be life changing for non-verbal adults and children. Now, if your child with speech difficulties is thirsty they can let you know with real words. Many apps can also be customised and adapted to personally suit your specific needs with additional features such as photographs and such like.
There are apps which can be used by people with severe movement disorders and difficulty with speech. The Yes/No app allows for simple Yes and No responses and gives dignity to individuals who have may have no other means of easy communication. Such developments in technology truly are revolutionary for people who need them.

1. For Learning

There are many specific apps and programs which are designed to help those with additional needs and disabilities. Apps have been designed and tailored to suit children and adults with specifics disabilities and play to the strengths of the individual in question rather than aiming for a standard “norm”.
There is sufficient evidence which suggests that many children defined as having an Autistic Spectrum Disorder respond very well to iPads and other tablet devices in a learning capacity and some SEN schools are beginning to implement this technology to support pupil’s learning.
Applications like Stories2Learn which help in the creation of social stories and Draw Free are really great for the development of children with additional educational needs and can be a great supplement at home for what’s learnt in school!

1. For Therapy

There is much evidence which suggests that using an iPad can significantly increase the development of a child or adults fine motor skills. People born with low muscle tone sometimes find it hard to develop their fine motor skills but through consistent use of an iPad which requires very precise touch screen presses and sophisticated finger isolation these skills can slowly be coaxed and developed.
There is in fact an app called Dexteria specifically designed for developing your fine motor skills.

1. For Behaviour Management

There are many great apps designed for helping parents, guardians and teachers manage and measure the behavioural developments of children with special needs. One of the most popular apps for this particular process is Behaviour Tracker Pro which allows for all types of assessments.
There are also great apps which can help young adults with learning disabilities further their independence such as Medication Reminder which will help remind you when to take your meds and Nudge which gives you reminders to keep on top of your to-do list or daily goals.
The iPad has thoroughly enhanced the lives of many people with additional needs and disabilities and their power cannot be underestimated. To confidently and comfortably use your iPad on the move, you should also consider buying a Trabasack which is perfect for housing your iPad but also works a portable desk if you fancy using it when you’re on the move or there’s no level surface available.

Assignment 2 week 2

H. Byrd Post

      Emerging Technology Problem Technology

 

During the 2011-2012 school year, the school I taught was challenged to integrate our disabled students into society. This learning objective was a long term goal that involved teachers to use technology to help prepare the students for Standards of Learning (SOL) test.  Our schools used augment devices to help our students become better learners.  Recently there have been a need for technology improvement with in the adult community.  However, this paper is going to focus on adults with mental disabilities and they lack the skills needed to survive in society.  Knowing that some learners are visual and some learn through repetition I decided to use two emerging technologies to bridge the gap between society and adults with mental disabilities.  The two technologies are the ipad and podcast.

 

An iPad is a tablet computer designed and developed by Apple and launched in April 2010. It is particularly marketed as a platform for audio and visual media such as e-books, e-newspapers, movies, music, games, and a wide range of applications. The main features include mail, web browser, photos, videos, YouTube, iPod, maps, contacts, calendar, notes and application store. Current limitations of this first device include the lack of a camera, USB port, Adobe Flash support, multi-tasking capabilities, SD memory slot, only 64GB internal storage (tiny for “terabyte days”), and the fact that it is not a stand-alone device, depending on a PC/Mac to install updates via the iTunes interface. 

In my experience with using iPad’s I believe that it will make the task of searching, studying and reviewing easy.  I also believe that the I pad will help adults develop information in notes, articles, and books will be organized on the device. “This will make studying to be more ubiquitous than ever. The iPad could provide students with the chance to take better care of their educational resources. It may also promote individualized curriculum, and applications could be developed to customize the learning experience of individual students” (Reyna 2010, p.1). Courses could become more independent of a teacher. Students could begin working more or less at their own pace as educators help each student to progress individually

Even with all of the technology  capabilities the I pad is not being used in different communites for various reasons.  One the iPad is expensive and not a lot of adults with disabilites make a lot of money.  Another problem with iPads is when it is used at work it can

bring usability issues that can impact IT departments. “For instance, if iPad-toting workers can't open PDFs or Microsoft Office files on their tablets, they may seek assistance from busy IT staffers. Luckily, there are several easy and cheap software applications, including Good.iWare's GoodReader, that enhance the iPad's weak file-viewing capabilities. And another app, SlideShark, allows iPad users to view and show PowerPoint presentations” (Bertolucci, 2012, p.1).

One of the oldest technologies used was the tape recorder.  Now a podcast has been developed to help act as the tape recorder by recording different information such as television shows, books, and classes.  As a teacher there are some adults that learn through repetition.  By using a podcast my adult learners will be able to stay current with information around the world, and develop information to help organize their daily routine in life.  “Available 24/7 -The basic advantage of podcasting in education is the portability and convenience of listening to learning resources anytime and anywhere without requiring extensive technical knowledge. Podcasts can be downloaded to all kinds of mobile devices, such as MP3 players, mobile phones, PDAs, and mobile computers. Learning materials downloaded into mobile devices can be listened to by learners in their own time and place”(Pittman, 2012, p.1).

The problems with podcast are that most people prefer reading and not listening.  Most adults with disabilities have short attention spans so they don’t want to listen to a long book or movie.  Adults also want to have their day free to do whatever they want to do.  “A podcast needs to immediately grab a person's interest and then hold onto it. Depending on the content your podcasts, that's often easier said than done. Text is an effective source of content, because people can scan each section to find what they want and what interests them. That's more difficult to do with video. If you appear nervous or don't have a clear, engaging voice, it's much easier for a person to exit your podcast and go search for other content” (Miksen 2012, p.1).

            In conclusion both technologies have great potential to help adults.  Even with great technologies come issues and problems that can also prevent a person from taking advantage of a device potential to take an adult learner to the next level no matter what issues he or she may be facing.

                                            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

Bertolucci, Jeff.   (2012).  10 iPad Problems Solved.  Retrieved

           http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/10-ipad-problems-solved/232600935

 

Miksen, Chris.  (2012).  Disadvantage of Podcasting.  Retrieved: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/disadvantages-podcasts-businesses-34095.html

Pittman, Alison. (2008).  4 Benifis of Podcasting in ELearning.  Retrieved:             

            http://ezinearticles.com/?4-Benefits-of-Podcasting-in-Elearning&id=1739326

Reyna, Jorge.  (2010).  Ipad Enhancing Learning in the Digitial Age: 21^st Century Learning  Retr

Retrieved:  http://learning21c.wordpress.com/2010/12/19/the-ipad-enhancing-learning-and-teaching-in-the-digital-age/