DO IPAD APPLICATONS HELP STUDENTS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES IMPROVE LIFE-READINESS SKILLS?

Abstract

Students with developmental disabilities often struggle with life-readiness skills (e.g., literacy skills such as reading and writing, task completion, and communication), which also help prepare students for the workplace. Assistive technology tools offer these students a means to do better in these areas. In this action-research study, we provided students with developmental disabilities (N=9) who were transitioning out of secondary school with iPad applications (apps) that could help them improve their life-readiness skills. The Common Core State Standards’ overall objective is students’ college and career readiness by the end of secondary school. While collecting qualitative and quantitative data across the 2012-2013 academic years, a group of educators worked with the students and their parents to help them learn and apply the iPad apps for life-readiness skills. The results indicated that all students improved in life-readiness skills. Ideas for future research as well as limitations of this study are also discussed.