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Using the iPad to Support Dyslexia

Posted by Craig Mill on the 13th January, 2016

A new resource from CALL Scotland!

using the iPad to support dyslexia

When using an iPad to support pupils with literacy difficulties such as dyslexia, there is a temptation to head straight to the Apps Store to download the latest dedicated ‘dyslexia app’.

While many of these apps offer valuable literacy support, the built-in features in ‘Accessibility’ and ‘Keyboard’ (in Settings and General) are often neglected.

This infograph highlights some of the main built-in tools that you can use to support literacy difficulties such as dyslexia. Not all the features highlighted are set as ‘default’ so you might need to delve into 'Settings' to turn them on, although much will depend on the needs of your learners. 

Additionally, the native Apple apps, such as Notes, with integrated text formatting, access to the camera and picture library as well as the newly implemented drawing tools, is a worthy contender to more expensive word processing apps. Both the Reminders and Calendar apps also offer useful planning and organisation features, particularly for those learners who find time management challenging. 

Due to constraints regarding content, additional Accessibility features have not been included (although equally valuable), such as the option to switch between lowercase and uppercase on the on-screen keyboard; the option to undock the keyboard to position it just below a line of text to aid tracking.

It is also worth noting that while ‘Split View’ (Allow Multiple Apps in ‘Multitasking’) is highlighted in the infograph, this feature is only available for the iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, and iPad Mini 4. For older iPads ‘Slide Over’ is the iOS alternative but unlike Split View, you are unable to interact with both screens at once.

I hope you find this infograph useful, please feel free to comment in the Comment box below if you have any additional suggestions. 

You can download the infograph from the Posters and Leaflets section of the CALL website where you will find many other valuable resources. It designed to be printed in A3 format. 

 

Online course - £30

Empowering Autistic Learners through the use of Assistive Technology

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