Teaching with Online Platforms for Students with Special Needs

Introduction

Students with special needs face unique challenges when learning, but there are many resources online that can be used by educators to aid their students. Whether these students are homeschooled and using these resources 24/7 or enrolled in school full-time and utilizing these resources as supplemental material, online platforms can help children with special needs gain more of an understanding on course content. Interactive games, activities, and videos may be a better alternative to handwritten homework for some students with learning disabilities. Special needs educators with students who may benefit from this type of learning should begin their search for resources with those provided below!

Resources

Education is becoming more digital every day. Therefore, there are more online resources on the internet than ever before. As more awareness is being raised for students with special needs, many of these online resources are being created to help them reach their greatest potential.

Lesson Plans

1. Top 12 Websites For Children With Learning Disabilities: This article offers educators a list of a dozen websites for children with learning disabilities. This online site recognizes that students with learning disabilities are just as smart as their peers, but their brains work differently. The educational websites which this site recommends are some of the best resources to help these children develop the skills they need. The recommended online platforms include IXL Worldwide, FunBrain, AAA Math, Storyline Online, Into the Book!, Starfall, Reading Rockets, the Exploratorium, Do2Learn, AdaptedMind, and others.
2. New Partnership Extends the Power of Online Learning to Special Education Students: fueleducation explains the functions of two different online platforms: Fuel Education and PresenceLearning. The general manager for Fuel Education, Gregg Levin, reports that both platforms “focus on using technology-enabled education to better serve students on an individual, personalized level.” Through the partnership between the two, the companies are hoping to offer “a new, innovative way to meet the needs of special education students.”
3. 7 Fantastic Websites for Teaching Curriculum to Students with Disabilities: Here, a list of seven different websites is provided to help educators gather online materials for students with special needs. Teachers Pay Teachers, Engage NY, IXL, Reading A-Z, Edhelper.com, education.com, and Khan Academy are all linked and explained on this site.

Articles

1. 50 Great Websites for Special Needs Educators: A list of fifty different websites for special needs educators is provided here. Masters in Special Education gives educators the resources they will need to help their students thrive. This list contains links for associations, council, centers, and societies along with conferences and financial aid. In addition, helpful websites, articles, research, and teaching resources supplied here may be helpful when you are trying to put together the best resources for your students to utilize.
2. Teaching Kids with LD: LD Online offers a multitude of resources on their site to help students with learning disabilities “reach their full potential.” Articles, instructional strategies, (information on) teaching issues, resources, recommended links, and more are given here. Also, a forum where special education teachers can share their advice and experiences with one another is also linked at the bottom of the page. This list is a great place to start when compiling resources!
3. The Best Writing & Reading Programs for Special Education: We Are Teachers has published an article which has a list of the best writing and reading programs for special education. SpellRead, Stevenson Reading, Zane Education, i-Ready, Edmark, and more are listed. Each of these programs is accompanied by a short explanation from a teacher who has utilized the online platform itself.

Informational Sites

1. Ginger Tiger is the Largest Online Platform for Special Needs Learners: Ginger Tiger is one of the largest online platforms for special needs learners, and Closing the Gap provides an abundance of detailed information on the site. A ten-minute video on the platform is linked and the benefits of Ginger Tiger, including its accessibility and flexibility, are explained extensively.
2. Websites that Work for The Special Education Classroom: This Powerpoint presentation links and provides a snapshot of dozens of various websites that work for special education in the classroom. Sites for all subjects, science, language arts, reading, social studies, and math are included. Websites specific to autistic students are also provided.

Conclusion

Using online platforms for teaching students with special needs may be daunting, but there are many great resources out there for educators to use. Common programs like IXL, Do2Learn, and Khan Academy and other lesser known sites can be utilized to teach students with special needs science, math, history, or language arts. There’s no harm in testing out a few of these online platforms and seeing which is the most effective!

Additional Resources

1. Nextfrontierinclusion.org: This site offers a list of apps for dyslexic learners, autistic learners, the visually impaired, and learners with writing difficulties. See below!

Categories	Apps
Apps for Dyslexic Learners	SoundLiteracy What Is Dyslexia Dyslexia Quest Happy Math Multiplication Rhymes Read 2 Me Phonics with Phonograms Dyseggxia DD’’s Dictionary: A Dyslexic Dictionary
Apps for Autistic Learners	Sight Words Sequences for Autism See.Touch.Learn Words on Wheels Verbal MeAutism iHelp Autism/DDT Shapes Autism DDT Letters Speech with Milo
Apps for the Visually Impaired	ViA Dragon Dictation Light Detector Color ID TapTapSee Be My Eyes- Helping Blind See Talking Calculator SayText AccessNote Visual Brailler
Apps for Learners with Writing Difficulties	The Writing Machine iWrite WordsLetter SchoolAlpha Writer ABC Pocket Phonics Word Magic