Friday, July 1, 2011

Is the iPad Worth It?

By Kim Singleton, M.S., CCC-SLP

Are you considering an iPad for your family with an eye on the benefits for your child with apraxia? Do you have an iPad and are not sure how to maximize its positive effects? How can you justify spending the bucks on such a cool toy for your family or school? The iPad provides an accessible, portable, dynamic and exciting playground for children with apraxia. In fact, this technology has benefits that other technologies and therapy activities lack. The iPad’s small size and weight (1.3 lbs.,) touch screen, fast load time, numerous applications and high quality audio recording capabilities merge to have a potentially huge impact on communication success.

As we know, children with apraxia have some common characteristics. For example, they benefit from opportunities to practice target sound sequences frequently. Our children do best when their experiences alternate between high and low communication demands. Accurate and supportive feedback speeds up speech learning. Children with apraxia benefit from feeling our cues as well as hearing and seeing cues to encourage understandable speech. Thoughtful use of the iPad can address these distinctive needs and be part of a solution to help our children reach their potential.

Does your child hate to practice speech sequences over and over? Often, this repetitive practice is hard work, with no intrinsic communicative value and children resist. With a motivating ‘app’ and quickly alternating turns, the iPad can encourage your child to practice, practice, and practice without distress.

With the iPad you can easily switch between activities with little time or preparation. This feature allows the users to rotate between activities with ease. It is easy to switch from verbal to nonverbal activities, alternating the communication demands. By using proficient skills, practicing emerging skills and learning new skills alternatively, our child with apraxia is anchored in success while risking more difficult sound sequences.

The iPad can provide feedback and cues to our child. Some apps cheer, clap or even groan! With the iPad’s built-in microphone and speakers, children can hear and compare their own sound productions with that of a stable auditory model. And it sounds fabulous! With the vast number of applications available, the iPad can provide visual cues that are motivating and high quality. With some practice [and a sturdy hand], the adult can incorporate tactile and kinesthetic cues while sharing an iPad activity.

Still not sure about the iPad? Then consider the iPod Touch. It is less than half the price and very light weight [.2 lbs]. Its size can make sharing an experience a bit more difficult but certainly worth considering. One last note, I have no investment, financial or otherwise, in Apple or any of its subsidiaries!


[View Kim using an iPad in therapy for a child with apraxia of speech]





[Kim Singleton, M.S., CCC-SLP has extensive experience serving children and adults with complicated communication challenges. She specializes in providing treatment to individuals with autism spectrum disorders, childhood apraxia of speech, and clients using augmentative and alternative communication systems. She serves individuals through her private practices in the Philadelphia and upstate South Carolina areas. For more information on Kim, please visit her website at http://www.kimsingleton.com]

13 comments:

  1. Which Apps are good to use for kids with Apraxia of Speech? My son likes the Monkey Lunch Box, but what else is there?

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  2. My son loves my iPod touch. But I agree with the other poster - do you have any suggestions for apps?

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  3. I use mine all the time as well. Great use of technology.
    Karen Novakoski MS CCC SLP

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  4. wow nowadays kids are using the latest tech very offen they like to use that

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  5. Glorified flashcards. Kids are interested for the first few sessions then figure out its flashcards on an iPad. And it is sort of sad to see Apraxia Kids getting on the bandwagon of only certain programs. Makes me very suspicious.

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  6. How about alphabet/animals apps for toddlers where professional narrators speak the words and the child can repeat them? Or, for older children, stories where the child can record his/her own voice and the play it back? Do you think this kind of apps might work, at least for a start?

    I notice a huge improvement in the quality of the educational apps in the last year and I am sure developers are more sensitive to the child's needs now then they were before. Maybe something apraxia-oriented will be developed soon and parents will have the opportunity to give a hand :)

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  7. My son (3) also likes monkey lunch box, I write words, and talking baby hippo. What else is recommended?!-

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  8. The ipad's strength is primarily motivational, which is no small thing! However, for it to have therapeutic value, the principles of motor learning and careful lexicon selection must be systematically applied and should drive the activity as opposed to the app driving the activity. Positioning and accurately applied Prompting must be maintained. That said, one of my favorite apps which lends itself well to a varied lexicon in terms of motor complexity and substantial repetition is, "Nighty Nighty".
    SLP

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  9. Proloquo2go is a great app for speech communication. It is pricey, however, it is worth it. My son uses it and it is wonderful.

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  10. Child I am working with can read and write, is 10, but artic still very poor, prefers not to talk. Looking for ipod or ipad app that allows him to use speedy written expression. He does not need pictures. Have found VERBALLY app but looking for something for ipod. Any suggestions?

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  11. I'm having a hard time with the ipad and my son - he just wants to play by himself, and hits the home button to get out of any app i want to use with him. It would be really helpful if you could address this issue in using the ipad for speech therapy

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  12. These ideas are very helpful, my son (2.5) has just been diagnosed with CAS and we are still trying to take it all in, any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated as we are very new to all of this. Thank you.

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  13. my son loves cut the rope app. practicing me or my and cut. He loves the ipad at speech!

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