iPads in Higher Education - Learning Disabilities and Accommodations

[Troy G. White]

I am an Advisor and Special Populations Coordinator at a local community college in Northeast Texas and we are currently developing an iPad program for use with our students struggling with a variety of learning disabilities, most notably, dyslexia.  I am seeking a few bits of information:  (1) What apps are currently in place for both educators and students assisting with dyslexia/learning disabilities in the college level?  (2)  Any word on future app development in this area?  (3)  Any information regarding Apple's Volume Purchasing Plan...has your college/university used it?  Is it working well?  Any problems?

 

Any and all information will be helpful.  I am new to this site, so if these topics have been discussed in earlier forums, please just provide the link and I will gladly go there!  Thank you for your help!

[Julia Dunn]

@Tony  Me too!  We just purchased two iPad2s for our office (Academic Resource Center @ Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA).  We anticipate using them on a check-out basis for students with disabilities, primarily LD, ADD, or ADHD.  We have two because we are also using them for Geology field trips for a student who uses a wheelchair.  While we are awaiting the arrival of the iPads, I am researching apps in the following categories: notetaking, notetaking w/ audio, organization, writing, reading, math/science, speech to text, and text to speech. Here is what I have thus far as definite purchases:  Notetaking w/ audio --> SoundNotes or Auditorium Notes (will probably purchase both to see which we like best), Speech to Text --> Dragon Dictate, Text to Speech --> Speak It and PerfectReader.