Power Up!
Apps for Kids with Special Needs and Learning Differences
A fresh look at learning
If your child has a special need or learning difference, you've come to the right place. Common Sense Media gets lots of requests for product recommendations from parents whose kids struggle with traditional learning. Some of their kids have a hard time with schoolwork; others have trouble staying on task or find it difficult to express their feelings.
Our hope for you and your kids
No matter which hurdles your kid faces, the apps and other media included in Power Up can give them an added boost. We don't expect an app to be a complete solution, of course. Working with kids who face challenges requires lots of time, attention, and patience on the part of a parent, teacher, or other adult caregiver. Our goal is to offer you a host of fun, well-designed apps that were recommended and tested by field experts. We hope they can become a part of your toolkit as you work with your child.
About the categories
Apps are arranged by challenge area and difficulty level. For each challenge area, we've included an informational overview with a list of typical challenges that kids face, help for choosing apps that match kids' needs, and further resources. You'll also find Power Tips with ideas for other activities you can do.
We've done our homework
Lots of work went into creating this guide. Our team spent several months surveying research, conducting interviews, and field testing products with field leaders, experts, teachers, and parents. In addition, Gayl Bowser, an expert in the field of special needs and technology, helped select products and authored the guide.
Browse the Guide by Category:
Contributing Experts
Intervention Specialist
Bellefaire School
Elementary Teacher
Chime Charter
Special Education Teacher
Cleveland Metropolitan School District
Special Education Teacher
Neil Cummins School
Co-Founder
Ready Set GO Therapy, Inc.
Clinic Director
Kidspace
Former Reading Recovery Teacher
Ravenswood City School District
Professor Emeritus, Child and Adolescent Development
California State University, Northridge
Co-Founder
Social Foundations LLC
Associate Professor, Special Education
University of Colorado, Denver
Speech and Language Pathologist
Chime Charter
Independent Speech Pathologist
San Francisco
This guide was made possible through the generous support of SCE.
Acknowledgments: Gayl Bowser (Writing); Craig Thigpen and Eric Tuvel (Image Design).
