Story-Making on the iPad When Children Have Complex Needs

Abstract

The two case studies reported in this clinical exchange describe the way in which iPads can foster children’s motivation to engage in communication and literacy-related activities such as story-sharing and story-creation. A detailed description of a particular iPad app (Our Story) is provided, along with observations of the implementation of this app in two special schools. The benefits and limitations of this approach for children with complex language and communication difficulties are identified. Recommendations are provided for future support of children’s literacy-related skills with iPads, with observations made about implementation issues related to the Our Story app.