Project 3-Write Up 2

Bianca Helton
2 October 2016

Introduction
In looking for applications for tablets that are appropriate for the educational setting,
I focused on my context of special education with grades 9-12. With this, I came across two
apps, Dexteria and iOT Session. Each being developed to be a form of assistive technology
to enhance the learning of students with special needs. Both are not specific to an age
group and can be used by teachers and therapist. Also, they are best suited for tablet use
due to the range of hand movements that are required.
Description of Purpose and Function
Dexteria is an app for tablets that supports occupational therapy, which helps
improve fine motor skills and handwriting readiness. It is available in the app store for both
iOS and Android users at $3.99 for ages K- adult. Upon the success of this application, the
company, Binary Labs, has also created six more apps that cater to the development of
other skills such as spatial reasoning, integration, math, and motor skills for preschoolers. It
comes highly recommend by parents in reviews confirming that they have purchased the
app.
Features (Bells and Whistles)
This app features three modes for users to work with; Write It, Tap It, and Pinch It.
It serves as therapy and practice, but is presented in more of an appealing way to students
in the form of exercises with special elements. The multi touch interface allows users to
build strength, control and dexterity. Teachers and therapist are now able to implement this
skill work with multiple students, via the apps newly added features of allowing more than
one user to play at a time.

Evaluation
I think that this app is a great tool for special education teachers and therapist to use
with their students. It is easy to use and can have more than one player programmed in at
a time. It is the perfect way to bring together technology with instruction and fun to
enhance the dexterity skills of students of all ages. Each mode works on the fingers both in
isolation and together. You first warm up with Tap It, work on thumb an index fingers
movements with Pinch it, and tracing letters with Write It. I can see myself using this in the
future with my students.
Description of Purpose and Function
This is an app created by awarding winning occupational therapist, Dr. Fredrick B.
Convington, who has experience working with children K-12. These children have varied in
disabilities, including developmental delays, autism, behavior difficulties and ADHD and
many more. iOT Session has activities in a game like format that address these topics as
well as other than are fairly common amongst students with special needs through visual
perception, scanning, tracking, handwriting and letter formation skills. It is available in
Apples app store, Androids Google Play and on Amazon for $2.99.
Features (Bells and Whistles)
With iOT Session for iPad, the teacher or therapist can time, measure or score task
and save data for an unlimited amount of user to use for comparison. Progress that
students make can be monitored using a designated log in and emailed to other teachers,
parents and the occupational therapist. Another standout feature is that documents can be
charted and be used in a students IEP as a form of data.
Evaluation
The stand out feature that I mentioned in the bells and whistles is the key reason
that I gave this app a five star rating. IEP are a major component in special education and

having a feature that allows you to chart data and print it out to use as a resourceful
document is very teacher friendly. I also like that I can use I can program in multiple
students at a time and can assess them individually. The activities also appeal to students
and engage them, which makes it that much easier to get them on track and excited about
learning.
Research
In conducting research for studies completed that support tablet use for occupational
therapy, I came across an article that discuss the effectiveness of an app called Rehab-let.
Its purpose is to be a game app that helps users to practice movement of weaker upper
extremities. The discussion confirms that utilizing the tablet with game-like apps is
inexpensive, accessible and may be motivating for clients to perform the countless
repetitions needed for effective brain plasticity to occur of the weaker upper extremity
(Rand, Zeilig & Kizony, 2015), which I why I believe that the apps I have chosen are perfect
for students with disabilities. The findings in this study have given researchers the
information needed to create a more advanced version of Rehab-let and can be a choice of
therapy for those who suffer from mild strokes. The second resource finds its purpose in
introducing the reader to an array of applications that can aid students with autism. The
author states that with the advancement of technology, a person with autism can carry a
device that helps them communicate and understand the world around them. For teens,
there are apps that help them learn or reinforce topics covered in school and assist in
homework (McGarth, 2013). With a total of twenty eight apps listed, this article furthers
proves my outlook on technology being beneficial to children with special needs.
Conclusion
Dexteria and iTSession are applications that are fairly common in the special
education community and are a good resource for therapist and teachers to use to further
assist their students. Research has shown that as technology continues to grow, it becomes

more of a go to tool for delivering effective instruction in the classroom and helping students
improve skills needed for their development. Seeing as there is a limited amount of research
on specific apps, I can see that changing as the popularity continues on an upward trend.

References

Rand, D., Zeilig, G., & Kizony, R. (2015). Rehab-let: touchscreen tablet for self-training
impaired dexterity post stroke: study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled
trial. Trials, 16(1), 1-7. doi:10.1186/s13063-015-0796-9
McGrath, R. (2013). Autism?. Young Adult Library Services, 11(2), 20-24.