Tablets and iPads are great, but if you don’t know which apps to have available for your students they can be just another piece of tech in the classroom.
That’s why we searched for the best apps for special education that you can start using in your classroom today!
As always, we recommend that you preview the apps before you use them with your students to make sure that they are a good fit for your class.
10 Must-Have Apps for Special Education
Teach Your Monster to Read
Teach Your Monster to Read app is designed to engage children in games that encourage reading and language development. The app is great for beginning readers, as well as those who need more time and practice with basic reading skills.
Wet-Dry-Try: Handwriting Without Tears
Based on the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum, Wet-Dry-Try is an interactive multi-sensory app that gives students practice with their handwriting. It has both righthand and lefthand settings so students can use it no matter which hand is dominant. It features uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as numbers so that students get practice with them all.
i-Ready
For schools that use i-Ready, the app provides continuous learning opportunities in math and reading. It does require a subscription, so it is best for those schools that already have it as part of their curriculum.
Epic!
From struggling readers to those who are advanced, Epic! is a wonderful app that features books of all levels. Teachers can see what students are reading and how they’re progressing and students can see the books that would be best fits for their reading level. It’s a win-win!
Square Panda
Developed in partnership with Stanford University neuroscientists, the Square Panda app introduces reading-readiness skills in a way that helps children learn – and enjoy the process of learning!
Otsimo
For students with autism, Otsimo provides an augmentative and alternative communication stream to help them communicate better with those around them. It is a fun, engaging, and effective app that was designed by the older brother of a child with autism. It has been used in homes and schools around the world to help children communicate.
Endless Reader
Endless Reader is an app that gives students plenty of practice with recognizing sight words. It’s fun, interactive approach makes early reading practice engaging and effective.
Speech Blurbs
For children who need help speaking, Speech Blurbs is a speech-therapist-approved app that gives them practice with first sounds, words, and sentences to improve their skills and confidence. It can be used by any child who needs assistance but was initially developed with children with Down syndrome, articulation issues, or with Autism Spectrum Disorder in mind. It consistently ranks as one of the best apps for special education.
StoryBuilder
While many educational apps are for younger students, StoryBuilder is an app that helps children improve their paragraph writing by focusing on clear, concise ideas and narratives. It features audio clips to help address the needs of children with special needs and learning differences.
ChoiceWorks
For students who need visual reminders for their schedule or behavior, ChoiceWorks provides a platform to create visual helpers. The app can help with everything from daily routine to learning how to wait to processing emotions.
