A valuable perspective on apps for teaching L2 English to students with ASD

Abstract

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) constitute an indispensable didactic resource; being called, in Pedagogy, Technologies for Learning and Communication (TLC). L2 didactics is not an exception, but a privileged area of its value. This is also the case for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) or Barriers to Learning and Participation (BLP). Hence, their impact on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). For students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), they become basic tools. This study, based on the evaluation of English apps for learners with ASD, contributes to increasing their potential. A sufficient number of specific apps for students with ASD were found, specifically 52. They were evaluated as recommendable, predominantly; then, they could improve their configuration to adapt to the needs of the group and achieve a rating of highly recommended. They were classified by areas of potential development, highlighting leisure, executive functions, and communication and language areas. Therefore, in addition to continuing to improve the aforementioned, it is necessary to continue creating other apps that work on instrumental skills, time management, emotions, relationships, space, money, etc. This will depend not only on their educational inclusion but also on their socio-labor inclusion.