For students with fine motor skill impairments, touch screens are more accessible than keyboards or mice when it comes to inputting information. The removal of the abstraction layer present with keyboards, mice and even track pads makes the resulting interaction more immediate and clear. The bright screen and interactivity of a tablet also make the device much more attractive to special-needs students, many of whom prefer tablets over books and other paper media. For autistic students, tablets provide a certain level of predictability, from the device's touch response to the calm, steady voice emitted from the device when the student explores a new app.
My next post will go into to detail concerning i-Pad use and downloadable applications for students with special needs. This will be a post you won't want to miss!
Reference: http://www.assistivetechnology.about.com
We have so many students with fine motor skill impairments that have not been diagnosed. You can tell in their writing or how their fingers try to manipulate objects without dexterity. Touch screens, computers, IPads...are what the students engage within but most do not have touch screen technology. With touch screens being more accessible than keyboards or mice when it comes to inputting information, would this be a very useful tool for this disability, or, will a regular keypad suffice? I do know that for some children, touching the screen is easier than pushing buttons or manipulating a mouse.
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