Copyright 2012 – Chris Misun
We are now in a new age. Technology is all around us through our cellphones, computers, tablet PCs, in our vehicles and most importantly in our classrooms. Classrooms with Special Needs students are beginning to use devices more frequently as they become less expensive and more accessible. Devices like the Vantage Lite by PRC comes in very pricey at over $7000. Options like these are not easy to come by for most families of special needs students without grants but with the tablet PC world becoming stronger, parents will have more options to choose from. One option that is becoming more popular is the iPad by Apple, Inc. The iPad starts at $499 and you can get apps like the iCommunicate app, which runs for $49.99. Please take the survey below and let us know what you think.
Whether or not these devices will be beneficial or detrimental to the developing skills of special needs students and particularly those that are non-verbal will be told over time. It is important for people to be informed and not get caught up in next best thing and assume that it will be the most ideal thing for their child. Sometimes the saying goes, “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” Are non-computer forms of working with non-verbal students still working and if not, how do we replace them the right way?