iPads gain popularity among special needs teachers

By Staff Writer

A Florida-based preschool recently launched an initiative called "18 iPads in 18 Days" in an effort to help the learning process for children who have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The iPads provide an alternative method of communication between autistic children and their teachers. Kids who have the developmental disorder typically struggle to speak, so the campaign's organizers are hoping that the mobile device will help students interact with educators in the classroom.

Each iPad that has been donated to the institution is equipped with applications such as Proloquo2Go, which is designed specifically for children who have an ASD. The device's touch pad is user friendly, featuring colorful symbols and natural sounding text-to-speech voices.

Across the U.S., iPads are being adopted by special-needs facilities and by parents who have autistic children. For example, NBC news affiliate KING 5 recently reported that Kyle and Tina Cakhuff have seen great progress with their 5-year-old autistic son, who has been using an iPad for more than two months.

Since they purchased the device, their son has begun to interact more frequently with family members, according to the media outlet.