Using the iPad in Therapy

Using the iPad in Therapy

I got my iPad a few months ago and I didn’t expect to love it as much as I do. All the fun games and apps aside, it’s made tasks such as checking email (which I’ve never enjoyed) enjoyable. Now I don’t feel like my unread email is looming over my head like the laundry (not that I get that many emails, but they can pile up fast if not checked for a couple of weeks!) For the other reasons (fun games and apps), my kids and my husband love it too. The biggest problem with it is that we have only one iPad to share between all of us!

I’ve recently started to incorporate the iPad into therapy and it has been an eye opening experience for me. For example, just this week I was working with a cute little 5-year old girl with autism. I pulled out the flashcards that we had been working on over the last couple of weeks and she got this look on her face like “I’m NOT going to do this again”, and she turned away from me. So I brought out the iPad and her face lit up with a huge smile. I opened up a simple flashcard app and we instantly began working. She was engaged and we were both having fun. How cool was this! I’m sure many other teachers and therapists have experienced the same thing. It goes without saying that my iPad will be a primary tool in my therapy sessions going forward, and I’m so excited about the possibilities that this amazing technology can make possible!

I will definitely be posting a follow up once I have more experience using the iPad in therapy. If any of you (parents or SLPs) have had good experiences with it in teaching your kids, please share! Now if there was only an app for potty training reluctant 3-year olds… I should check.

There are many stories already on how the iPad is helping kids communicate. Below are a couple of links to blog posts from the mom of a cute little kiddo named Leo with autism. I loved reading about how the iPad made such a huge difference in their lives.

My Son the Top-Secret Apple iPad Project

The iPad: a Near-Miracle for My Son With Autism

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