Why is ONLINE tutoring especially great for SPED learners?

Answer 1

Online tutoring can be beneficial for special education students because this generation are digital natives. They have grown up with technology as a common and regular part of daily life. Students with special needs are often motivated by computer activities. Leveraging their natural affinity for technology can increase motivation for engaging in tutoring activities.

It is also important to note that Technology Aided Instruction and Intervention (TAII) has been identified as an Evidence-based Practice (EBP) for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). https://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/evidence-based-practices

Answer 2

It has been my experience that students with special needs are highly engaged with computer tasks. It allows the student to work independently at his/her own pace, as well as removes the extraneous stimuli that might distract the learner. Additionally, a student may perform better without the social demands of a public or in-person tutoring session.

Web-based programs often include various multimedia approaches and offer highly interactive activities to keep the student engaged. Many of these programs are targeted toward struggling learners which focus on fundamental skills in reading, writing, and math.

Answer 3

So many special ed (ADD/ADHD, ASD, LD, dyslexia, etc.) parents seek one-on-one tutoring for their students, but most request "in home" or in a "public place" to do so. First of all, public places such as libraries are too quiet and confining for those who need to move and talk to learn, and Starbuck's or homes are full of distractions. Young people these days are especially "wired" for computers and are often on some sort of screen watching YouTube, listening to music, playing games, or texting friends anyway. Many actually can better focus in on a computer or cell phone screen. This is a good thing. Parents can sit right by their students to monitor the lesson if they so desire. Online learning and communicating is the way of the world today, and many Ivy League colleges are actually offering degrees online and businesses are conducted there, too. So when your student learns how to use "online learning," that skill will transfer to other important areas of their lives. One more thing: when parents specifically ask for Orton-Gillingham or a single specific method of teaching, they are actually limiting the many ways tutors can help their students learn. Please open your mind to new methods and modes of education that will actually help your student learn more.