Sorry it's a good app question ... Again

[frizzcat]

Sorry in advance here's some

DS 9 dx ASD, in mainstream with 19hrs support. He's been allocated an iPad at school and he's over the moon. However, when I was talking with his LSA and teacher they were saying that they didn't know what apps to use for educational purposes.

Automatically your brain thinks well the SENCO should be able to advise them right? Wrong, I have reservations over whether the SENCO knows her own name let alone anything else. But that's another thread and another meeting with the HT this week for me.

So MNSN what apps are good for educational purposes? Things like story-building, sentence building, creative writing, social stories, maths, anything really. There are a number children who could benefit from these things in the school, so thought I'd ask for them in addition to my ds. Why should they lose out because the SENCO is useless? (can you tell I'm seething about the SENCO?)

Toontastic let's you make your own cartoons and record voices. The basic version is free. I think it is good but might be a bit young for your DS?

Primary Maths builder, brilliant.

Headsprout do an IPAD version, though expensive, worth every penny.

It is important that the SENCO knows:

IPADS ARE NOT OUTCOMES

Puppet pals is another one which sounds like it's like toontastic.
You pick characters and backgrounds and make up a story whilst moving the characters around. You can record yourself telling the story and watch /listen to it back.
You get one set of characters and three backgrounds free and then if you want you can upgrade to all the rest for £1.99 or just a bit a a time.

RaRa can you explain ipads are not outcomes
The Senco didn't even know he had or was getting an iPad as it was the teacher who runs ICT who got it for him.

Thanks so much for all your suggestions

I mean, that often kids with SEN are given some technology as if somehow by magic, just OWNING it will solve all of their problems.

The reality is that it is a tool to help them access the curriculum or their learning, and so you must not hold back in requesting expensive programmes if that is what is needed. T

Thanks Star.
Never fear, I'm not one for holding back. I asked for clear guidance from the school last week on what the iPad was for? I'll be buggered if ds spends his days playing games. The CT is the one leading the search for apps to try and help ds with his free/creative writing. Specifically something funny that would engage ds.

Ahhh - Zzzzzip it up Zzzzzippy Zzzzzip Zzzzzip!

Just like to join the thread as I am currently searching for the answer of Good Apps too.

Great & Helpful answer from everyone here.

Another thing I like to ask is... How can little one get IPAD from school ? is this free ?

I mean, my little boy love Ipad and it is the one of the high reinforcer in ABA programme as he is in the early day of ABA Vb. I mean the nursery did not even allow him to have IPAD at down time in school ?

Hi frizz

Have to start by agreeing wholeheartedly with starlight

Several years ago, SENCOs were recommending children have PCs in classrooms and typing programmes were the rage.
Now it's tablets.
What is getting lost is that these are tools to achieving outcomes, they are not an endpoint in themselves. There is an element of throwing money at the problem and hoping you it goes away.

I love this site as the owner reviews the apps and gives you a good view of them so that you can judge before commiting.

This looks interesting

Pinterest is also useful.

A good rule is to decide what it is that you want to achieve (outcome) and then find an app to do it for you.
So it might be that you want to reduce handwriting lost - speech-to-text app.

Or you might want to reduce working memory load- so you would go for a visual schedules/reminders/homework note app.

HTH

Lindi - schools will get iPads out of their own budgets or grants. If you can't afford one for yourself, Cerebra is a good place to apply, though you will need letters to back up your reasons why is would be beneficial to your DS.

If this is still a dead end for you, then it might be worth looking at an android tablet. Reasonable ones can be obtained for £100 or less and, while there isn't as good a range of learning apps as there is for iOS, there are still plenty of free or inexpensive apps that make fabulous reinforcers, such as angry birds or the beautiful Little fox apps, like Nighty Night, Petting Zoo or Little Fox Music Box.

Lindi I can reccomend the Hudl from Tesco as an alternative to the iPad.

Thanks Redoutable I keep meaning to look at Pinterest but I've been putting off largely because I'm not sure how it works etc..... You know being a lazy arse

Re: school using iPad as a cure I was onto that as soon as they announced he had one (I just didn't "get" RaRa's warning). I have agreed with LSA's, CT and HT that this iPad is to be used at the moment as a reward only, until we asscertain it's purpose in his learning, hence me asking about the apps. The CT and LSAs approached the Senco for app recceommendations and she was as unaware if the apps as she was of the arrival or allocation of the iPad.

CT is looking at it as trying a different approach for ds in relation to English, specifically creative writing, where he struggles, at the moment I'm open to anything because I'm all out of ideas and ds is fast losing confidence and patience with it

Thanks again for all your recommendations

There's an android 7 inch tablet at the moment for £40 on wowcher. Useful as an e-reader or for simple games on journeys and in doctor's waiting rooms if nothing else.

Headsprout reading comprehension as this is something a child with ASD needs teaching properly in a measured and systematic way iykwim.

thank you frizzcat,

I have just IPAD from Family Fund. Brilliant !

Thank you ouryve,

I just got IPAD from Family Fund a few day ago and will add all these Recommended Apps on for little one.

I asked before if Ipad can be one of reienforcer for him in down time situationen. Nursery Teacher said I cannot have it as it is not fair to other children.