Class 4 Post 2

The presentation on Communication Disorders was very interesting and provided lots of useful information about apps that could be used to address the needs of students. This year I am working as a Program Support Teacher so have a heightened awareness of the number of students who are challenged in this area. I liked the way Barbara, Nicole, and Jenna organized the information in a table so that it was easy to understand the multiple uses of the various apps. The additional links were helpful also and I hope the ladies do not mind that I have added some to my own link list. The two apps I liked best were iCommunicate (see link to tutorial) and Speech Tutor.

I liked iCommunicate because it has so many options for use in schools. I also like that you can either use the pictures that are provided or add your own. This is a great app for creating pictures, flashcards, routines, visual schedules, and storyboards. Speech Tutor reminds me of the Lindamood Bell program LiPS. I have used LiPS to help students with language development, particularly the Vowel Circle for instruction in tongue position and mouth formation when making vowel sounds. It is empowering for these students when they receive instruction that allows them to analyze their own vowel sounds through their tongue and mouth formation. I can see using Speech Tutor in much the same way.

The next presentation was Apps for Severe Autism. Setz, Mary Jo, and Karla started the presentation with an excellent overview of Autism, including background information, early signs, diagnosis, and the spectrum of the disorder. I learned a lot just from this introduction! After the introduction, we got to view an excellent clip from a 60 Minutes segment about Apps for Autism. Here is the link to that segment:



This clip sends a strong message about how much information Autistic children are taking in and the challenges associated with giving them a means to convey that to the people around them.

Two of the apps this group presented that I can use in my setting are Fluid and Pocket Pond, both sensory regulation apps. I can use these apps not only with children in my school who are Autistic but with those who have impulse control and anger issues. The only problem I have is that I will have to bring my own iPad to use as there are currently NO iPads in my school. Find links to more information on Fluid, Pocket Pond and other apps for mental health in the links list.

Apps for Early Learners was eye-opening and got me thinking about the importance of pre-school programs for all children. I wonder if we would see a decline in language development issues when children reach school age if the AT and resources that are available for early learners were fully utilized. In this presentation, I liked the list of App developers because it helped me to further organize all the new information we have been learning in this course. I also liked the idea that it is essential to match the apps with the individual. One of the apps I liked best was ABA Problem Solving because I think problem solving is a skill many children need help in developing. I also liked ABC Trace where letters of the alphabet are traced on the iPad. I think this would best be done with a stylus though so that students could practice correct pencil grip.