5 Apps for Special Needs Students

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Thanks to technological advancements, homeschooling special needs students can be a lot less overwhelming. While each child has their own need, behavioral patterns, challenges, and talents – using apps and other digital tools can be beneficial.

Apps can help you customize your child's curriculum needs. This cuts back on the process being time-consuming and stressful. Below are 5 apps that can help with personalizing learning for your special needs students.

Rufus Robot

(Social Cues, Basic Competencies)

This is a series of tablet apps for young learners and special needs students. Many are educational apps designed specifically with young children and children with autism spectrum disorder (“ASD”). It is also compatible with other learning difficulties in mind. Their apps are particularly beneficial for ASD children who have difficulties in identifying facial expressions and recognizing emotions. Rufus Robot also helps students learn numbers, colors, shapes, counting, and more. Compatibility: iOS and Android tablets

Montessori Numbers

(Math)

Montessori Numbers is designed to help build sound mathematical foundations in children aged 3-7 by using a concrete, visually significant material inspired by the Montessori methodology. offers a sequence of guided activities that gradually help children reinforce their skills. Each activity offers several levels of increasing complexity. Montessori Numbers builds on the iPad’s touch feature and uses verbal feedback for more efficient learning. The app can pronounce any number between 0 and 1009 (American, British and Australian voices available). Compatibility: iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch)

Proloquo2Go

(ACC aid)

This symbol-based app helps users learn how to express themselves. Proloquo2Go puts the user’s development first, with innovative features based on clinical knowledge and user research.

It’s also one of the few AAC apps designed to support all users, from beginning to advanced. Completely customizable and designed for a range of fine-motor and visual skills, the app’s versatility makes it useful for non-verbal people with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and a range of other diagnoses or speech impediments like apraxia and dysarthria. Compatibility: iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch)

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Fizz Brain

(Reading, Decoding)

This app is very beneficial for learners that struggle with decoding. It sounds out difficult words and models how to pronounce them syllable by syllable. It provides aid similar to that of the therapist sitting next to a student, listening, correcting, and prompting. The Sounding Out Machine is very helpful because it can work with books by the snap of a page. There is a handy window that allows students to isolate challenging words from the rest of the text in the event the entire page is too overwhelming. There is also a typing mode, where a student can type in a particularly puzzling word. Compatibility: iOS (iPad)

Super Why!

(Reading, Comprehension)

Super Why offers engaging activities and interactive literacy games with words, letters, rhyming, and spelling to help improve a student's reading and writing skills. What's more important, they also help to achieve better comprehension for students with splinter skills in reading. Your child can play along with each of the main characters from the TV series: Alpha Pig, Princess Presto, Wonder Red, and, of course, Super Why, while practicing the alphabet, rhyming, spelling, writing, and reading. Compatibility: iOS, Android (smartphones and tablets)

Looking to monitor what your child is doing and keep them safe?

Pumpic

Most threats children face today are closely associated with the use of mobile devices and the Internet. Pumpic's cell phone monitoring software helps parents avert all these dangers in the making and protects your little ones. Because their software is not linked to any cell phone carrier, you can benefit from it even outside the US or Canada as the Pumpic app is available in different countries around the world. Install the app on your kids’ phones and rest assured they are safe wherever they or you go.

Try the World’s Best Homeschool Planner for FREE!

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Internet Safety Tips Your Kids Need to Know

Conclusion

Using digital apps and tools can be very effective in bridging developmental and achievement gaps. Start by looking for your child's strengths and weaknesses and then seek the proper tools to help balance it out. Keep in mind that some general-purpose apps or apps for young learners can work wonders for special-needs students. The key is to find a few that are compatible with your child's needs and go where your child's needs lead.

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5 Apps for Special Needs Students