Measuring the Academic Outcomes of iPads for Students with Autism: a Meta-Analysis

The ability for individualization and the wide array of available apps have made portable electronic devices popular for use with students with autism, particularly in the classroom. The current study examined the effectiveness of using iPads to deliver academic interventions to students with autism. Seven studies using iPads with single-case deigns and small samples were analyzed through both Tau-U and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) techniques. Analysis of potential moderating variables indicated no significant differences across academic subject, grade of participants, or number of sessions. However, the HLM analyses revealed a significant difference for the introduction of the intervention. Discussion focuses on the use of iPads for academic interventions for students with autism and recommendations for practitioners.