Assistive technology has been helping individuals with special needs work around everyday challenges for years now. Many devices have been created to help these individuals lead independent and dignified lives, allowing them to participate in education, the labor market, and civic life. As such, assistive technology is incredibly important, especially given that about 1 in 5 children in the US have special health care needs. These technologies can help children overcome barriers to education, care, social interactions, and even safety.
That said, tablets are one of these assistive technologies that would benefit kids with special needs. An article on using tablets for technology integration in classrooms emphasized that these tools are effective for differentiation. Differentiation entails tailoring the method of instruction to a student's specific needs. This gives educators more leeway to cater to learners with special needs, while also tending to neurotypical students. And on top of being a learning instrument, tablets can help entertain children through media and games. So if you’re planning to invest in a tablet for your child, here are some options you can consider:

Kindle Kids Edition
The Kindle Kids tablet is a 10th generation Kindle device that has Wi-Fi connectivity, a grayscale display, and adjustable lighting settings. Since it’s a tablet with adjustable backlighting, it allows users to manage how they use up the device’s power supply. On top of that, its internal makeup enhances the device's power integrity so that energy can be properly distributed across the device. Thanks to these features, the tablet can use up power efficiently without draining the battery quickly.
The device's power efficiency, along with the lack of miscellaneous power-intensive apps, enables kids to read for weeks without needing to recharge their device. But aside from being an energy-efficient reading tablet, this device also allows users to access Audible, an online audiobook and podcast service. Through Audible, even kids that have reading problems will be able to enjoy books.

Fire HD 10 Tablet
At the moment, Fire HD 10 is the largest and fastest tablet for kids from Amazon. Since the tablet comes with a subscription to Amazon FreeTime unlimited, users can access over 20,000 books, audiobooks, movies, TV shows, and games made specifically for children ages 3 to 12. As such, this is a great device that can be utilized for social and emotional learning in children. Kids have access to apps that can boost their mental health or play games integrated with socio-emotional lessons whenever they want.
Fire HD 10 also comes with intuitive and easy-to-use parental controls that can supervise up to four accounts. It can also limit access to the camera, web browsing features, and other tablet functions. Additionally, the device has a great RAM capacity of 2 GB and 32 GB of storage memory that can be expanded to 512 GB. This makes it a reliable source of hassle-free, controlled, and fun learning and entertainment for children.

Samsung Galaxy Tab E Lite
What sets Samsung Galaxy Tab E Lite apart from any other Android tablet for kids is the fact that it has Samsung Kids Service instead of a regular kids app store. By subscribing to this service, parents can access a library of expertly curated games and books that are up to the US Common Core standards. In addition to this, the service also allows kids to watch kid-friendly content from notable sources such as Dreamworks and National Geographic.
Another feature that makes this tablet great is the parental regulations and controls feature. It's structured in such a way that guardians can limit how much time their kids spend on an app as well as regulate the types of programs they can access. This tablet also comes with a dashboard that lets parents see their child's progress and what they do on the device. Lastly, the Samsung Galaxy Tab E Lite comes with a soft bumper case that makes it easy for a child to hold and play with.
Tablets are more than just entertainment devices. They are also great tools that can support learning and skills enhancement for kids with special needs. To illustrate, Kindle Kids Edition can make literature more accessible, the Fire HD 10 tablet can help with socio-emotional learning, while the Samsung Galaxy Tab E Lite supports expert-curated games and books.

About the author

Luna Gomez is a full-time mother who has tutoring gigs on the side. She enjoys teaching children of all ages and background as she feels she is helping them discover their interests. Someday, she hopes to teach full-time.