1. Are some children with special needs not  a danger to a computer? I teach a Year 1 class, many of whom have severe learning difficulties. Very few are even toilet trained and I know that if I let them loose on a computer it would be broken or smashed within minutes. I realise that …
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Instead of giving written handouts of information or instructions why not type them and allow the child to use the speech facility to read them for him/her. Pupils who need the text enlarged or the background colour changed can easily do this. The auto-correct facility within some word processing packages allows learners to enter their …
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Pupils with autism very often have unusual fixations on parts of objects; they focus on objects as though through a tunnel. When using a computer this can mean they are able to focus totally on the screen and to block out all distractions around them. Using a computer can provide a very secure, comfortable environment …
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Use a digital camera so that pupils can take photos of the equipment they are using.  Later they can download the pictures and use them for labelling or for illustrating their work. Take photos of pupils at each stage of the food preparation.  Use these for sequencing stages of the process.  They can be used …
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New concepts can be easier to understand if they are presented in a visual way.  Try these powerpoint visuals which can be downloaded from  (http:\\www.issen.org.uk\news_powerpoint_ideas.html) Gravity The heart Pressure

Make the experience for a real purpose.  Instead of always using textbooks why not use multimedia. Children can create their own learning resources. ICT – use the digital camera to record pupils during their ‘foreign’ experiences.  They can then write labels for the photos. Use multimedia sound facilities to record themselves using the language. Ideas …
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Using I.C.T. can help explain concepts in a multi-sensory way.  It can allow pupils to explore, explain and describe what is happening. Shape Use of CD ROM and Internet to help consolidate knowledge of 2d shapes. Further Information Calculators: Guidelines for Second-Level Schools published by Stationery Office in Dublin Tel 01-647 6834/5 Price E2 Multiplication …
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A Visit to the Folk Park – Use the web, digital camera and word processor to recount the visit Norman Soldiers – Using the web to access and retrieve information A Day Out – Using Autoroute to plan a day’s itinerary.

Writing Although spell checkers are very useful, they should be used with caution.  Firstly it is important that they are set to the UK mode.  Beware that pupils could become discouraged by the use of word processors which indicate every spelling or grammar error with a red or green line.  It might be best to …
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ICT is particularly useful with pupils who have little or no drawing skills either through physical or cognitive difficulties. The manipulation of images on the computer screen and experimentation with composition and colour allows such pupils to engage in the Art curriculum in a way which would otherwise be inaccessible to them. Of course it …
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