Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation
  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing
  • Login
  • GDPR
  • Create a Free Account
Return to PRWeb homepage
  • News
  • Resources
  • Contact
When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All News Releases
      • Multimedia Gallery

      • All Multimedia
      • All Photos
      • All Videos
  • Business & Money
      • Auto & Transportation

      • Aerospace, Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads and Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking and Road Transportation
      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers and Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalization
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Overseas Real Estate (non-US)
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls and Research
      • Trade Show News
      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil and Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • Carriers and Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines and Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics and Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture and Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewelry
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • Amusement Parks and Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels and Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • Advocacy Group Opinion
      • Animal Welfare
      • Congressional & Presidential Campaigns
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Domestic Policy
      • Economic News, Trends, Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • FDA Approval
      • Federal and State Legislation
      • Federal Executive Branch & Agency
      • Foreign Policy & International Affairs
      • Homeland Security
      • Labor & Union
      • Legal Issues
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Patent Law
      • Public Safety
      • Trade Policy
      • U.S. State Policy
      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • View All People & Culture

  • Hamburger menu
  • Cision PRWeb provides efficient communication tools to continuously engage with target audiences across multiple online channels
  • Create a Free Account
    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Us


      11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday

  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • News in Focus
    • Browse All News
    • Multimedia Gallery
  • Business & Money
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR
  • Send a Release
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Resources
  • RSS
  • GDPR

Therapist Introduces iPads as Educational Tool for Children with Special Needs
  • USA - English


News provided by

St. Louis Children's Hospital

Nov 06, 2013, 10:05 ET

Share this article

Share toX

Share this article

Share toX

The iPad enables Emma to complete school work more efficiently.
The iPad enables Emma to complete school work more efficiently.

St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) November 06, 2013 -- “I have that app. But I don’t use it all that frequently.”

Listening to St. Louis Children's Hospital patient Emma Allison speak, the only giveaway to her age is the high-pitched voice of a little girl. According to her mom, she’s 8 – going on 18. But the fact that she's swiftly navigating advanced technology is nothing new.

“She’s had keyboarding in her IEP since she was three,” Ona Allison explains.

The universal access to the iPads really levels the playing field for regular ed and special ed kids.

Post this

Emma’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) exists because of limitations that don’t affect her intellect, but, rather, her movement. Emma has cerebral palsy (CP), a life-long condition that impairs the communication between the brain and the muscles, causing a permanent state of uncoordinated movement and posturing. In Emma’s case, the disorder involves both of her legs and one arm. She uses a walker, and requires a great deal of time to write anything by hand.

According to her occupational therapist, Nicole Weckherlin, Emma’s situation is common among children with CP.

“Many times in school, they shorten assignments for these kids. They tell them that if this is hard for you, you don’t have to do all ten spelling words, you can just do five of them. It helps with timing, but these kids then lose out on part of the educational experience.”

For years, Nicole has suggested assistive technology and devices to help children with CP better integrate with the classroom. But that technology poses a number of shortcomings, namely, the equipment can be bulky, and the kids often don’t want to use anything that would set them apart from the rest of the class.

With the advent of tablet devices, though, Nicole saw an opportunity. She began suggesting families purchase iPads about three years ago, under the direction of Dr. Jan Brunstrom-Hernandez. She started identifying applications that would help children with certain limitations, apps that would make them more productive, and apps that could help them sharpen their hand-eye coordination. And it didn’t take long for schools to start seeing the benefit.

To date, Nicole has presented to multiple schools on the uses and benefits of the iPad in special education, and frequently corresponds with many more. In December 2011, she began distributing a monthly iPad newsletter, which now boasts an audience of 500 contacts, including patients, parents, teachers, therapists, and health care professionals.

“Now we have kids where we’ve made the recommendation for an iPad, and they’ve actually gone out, used it at school, and come back. We’re getting a lot of feedback that it’s a game changer in school. Kids like Emma are able to keep up with their peers and their lessons and their assignments,” Nicole says.

Emma’s parents agree.

“In the past, if she was really tired, you wouldn’t be able to read her handwriting, so you’d have to erase everything she’s written, and she’d have to redo it or we’d have to write it for her,” Ona says. “I’m not going to follow her to college and scribe all of her notes for her. We want her to do the work and gain the skills to be independent. The iPad is allowing that.”

And kids are willing to use the devices when they’re with their peers.

“She likes doing what everyone else is doing,” Ona says of Emma.

Far different from the larger medical devices, other children are familiar with iPads, and use them as well. Ona works as the director of technology in Emma’s school district, and in the last few years has led an effort to make iPads accessible to all students – because teachers are asking for them.

“The iPad is truly assessing what it should: math skills, spelling skills, language arts skills. We’re able to gain a better understanding of a child’s cognition with these devices,” Nicole explains.

That understanding expands beyond the scope of children with special needs.

“The universal access to the iPads really levels the playing field for regular ed and special ed kids. They’re all treated the same.”

The results she’s seen in patients, combined with the promise of advancing the potential of special education students, prompted Nicole to apply to the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation for funds to start an iPad lab at the hospital. She began the process last spring, and was recently awarded more than $2500 to purchase numerous iPad accessories, including mounts, cases, switches, apps and other equipment that will enhance accessibility.

Though the equipment has yet to arrive, she has already begun seeing patients specifically for iPad use and accessibility.

She hopes the iPad lab will introduce even more families to the benefits of the tablet, and, eventually, make the medical community more aware of the tool as device to increase a child’s productivity. She’s already excited about the long-term potential it has and will give Emma.

“I feel, vocationally, this is where jobs are going to end up. I’m going to guarantee you that Emma is going to do something with computers when she’s an adult,” Nicole says.

For now, Emma begs to differ. She says she’s going to be a swim instructor when she grows up. Though, at only 8, she’s reserving the right to change her mind. Frequently.

Abby Wuellner, St. Louis Children's Hospital, (314) 286-0416, [email protected]

Modal title

Emma has the iPad with her at school and at home.
Emma has the iPad with her at school and at home.
Emma's mom and occupational therapist look on as she demonstrates a new app.
Emma's mom and occupational therapist look on as she demonstrates a new app.
Emma and Nicole work together to find apps that are helpful for children with CP.
Emma and Nicole work together to find apps that are helpful for children with CP.
Emma has the iPad with her at school and at home. Emma's mom and occupational therapist look on as she demonstrates a new app. Emma and Nicole work together to find apps that are helpful for children with CP.

Contact PRWeb

  • 11AM ET Sunday – 8PM ET Friday
  • Contact Us

About PRWeb

  • About PRWeb
  • Partners
  • Partnership Programs
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Resources

Why PRWeb

  • Why PRWeb
  • How It Works
  • Who Uses It
  • Pricing

Accounts

  • Create a Free Account
  • Log in
  • Contact Us

Do not sell or share my personal information:

  • Submit via [email protected] 
  • Call Privacy toll-free: 877-297-8921

Contact Cision

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Online Member Center
  • ProfNet
Cision Distribution Helpline
888-776-0942
  • Legal
  • Site Map
  • RSS
  • Cookie Settings
Copyright © 2025 Cision US Inc.