Use of iPads as Assistive Technology for Students with Disabilities

Abstract

Over the past decades, technology has been considered an essential tool for providing equal accessibility and opportunities for students with disabilities. As technology has evolved, a new type of technology, mobile devices, emerged in the late 2000s. Specifically, iPads have quickly gained attention and popularity in special education settings. The potential benefits of the use of iPads as assistive technology (AT) for supporting students with disabilities has been demonstrated among professionals. This paper is a brief summary of previous literature on the use of iPads as AT for functional skills of individuals with disabilities. In addition, the paper addresses the beneficial features of iPads as AT and introduces example AT apps, as well as online resources for those apps.