Erase those blackboards. Put aside those pencils. Apple iPads are the latest instructional tools being used to motivate and educate special needs students at High Roads schools and Sierra Academies across the nation, operated by Specialized Education Services, Inc. (SESI) of Yardley, Pa.
    Teachers say the new tablet computers – introduced into the curriculum at the start of the current school year in September – offer a broad range of educational uses in an easy-to-use device and have become a powerful learning incentive for students with learning disabilities.
    “The greatest benefit of the iPads has been to generate student-interest and enthusiasm,” said Danielle Peck, director of the High Road School for 6th-through-12th-graders in Dundalk, Md.
“For me it’s all about the three ‘R’s’ – relatable, relevant and realistic. Our students certainly relate to new technologies. The iPads are relevant to the classroom instruction and they give our students realistic experience with technology they may use in the workforce,” said Peck.
The High Road School in Dundalk, Md. is one of 43 schools in ten states and the District of Columbia operated by Specialized Education Services, Inc. (SESI) of Yardley, Pa., one of the nation’s premiere providers of specialized education for over 1,800 students with learning, language and social challenges.
Local and county public school districts recommend students with disabilities, social, emotional and behavioral challenges to SESI schools so the students can receive more structure and personal attention. 
 “Our schools are not just another traditional school using technology to enhance learning,” said Michael Kaufman, CEO of SESI. “We are showing faith in students with significant learning and behavioral needs. We don't know of any other school in the country, serving this demographic, that is willing to hand out iPads because of concerns they would be broken or abused. Our students are handling this opportunity with responsibility and they are learning.”
At the High Road Student Learning Center in Wallingford, Ct., “we have a broad spectrum of special needs students including youngsters with autism, learning disabilities, mood disorders and behavioral challenges,” said Mary Puglisi, who teaches 4th through 7th grades.
“Some students don’t like pencil-and-paper tasks. Others have trouble using flash cards for subjects like mathematics or spelling.  Some don’t have the fine motor skills to write or use a computer keyboard. For these students, the iPad’s touch-screens are a real benefit,” Puglisi said.
“We have non-verbal students with autism. Buying assistive technology for PCs could cost thousands of dollars,” Puglisi said. “For a fraction of that cost, we can use iPad apps that allow these students to touch icons and the iPad say words aloud, allowing them to communicate. These students can answer teachers’ questions, make requests and express themselves.”
“Our students love them,” said Kristy Gallagher, who teaches 1st through 5th grades at the Sierra Academy of San Diego. “Children are wired for any kind of new technology. So, having iPads at their fingertips in class has been awesome.”
Gallagher explained the tablet computers are a success at Sierra Academy because of their mobility and the number of educational “apps” available to supplement classroom learning. Students in Gallagher’s classes, for example, use the tablet computers to learn basic arithmetic, for sight-word and flash card exercises, and to strengthen their language skills.
“For students who are academically on-track, it’s helps with repetition and the rate at which they process exercises. For students who have difficulty with spelling or composing sentences, the ‘apps’ we use allow them to work at their own pace and gives them visual or auditory rewards,” said Gallagher.
SESI started its “iPad Initiative” in the fall as a pilot program. It purchased and distributed 55 tablet computers to some of its elementary, middle and high schools in California, Connecticut, Maryland, Rhode Island and Washington D.C.
Based on the program’s success, SESI intends to purchase more iPads and broaden its initiative this year, said Adrian Pellew, SESI’s Information Technology Director. “Tablet computers are not taking the place of traditional classroom learning, but they have certainly proven to be a valuable supplement,” said Pellew.