PAPER ICTS AND MUSIC IN SPECIAL LEARNING DISABILITIES ICTs and Music in Special Learning Disabilities https://doi.org/10.3991/ijes.v4i3.6066 Athanasios S. Drigas and Paraskevi Theodorou NCSR DEMOKRITOS, Institute of Informatics and Telecommunications, Net Media Lab, Athens, Greece Abstract—!his study is a critical review of published scien- tific literature on the use of Information and Communica- tion Technologies (ICT), Virtual Reality, multimedia, music and their applications in children with special learning difficulties. Technology and music are two factors that are recognized as tools which ensure quality of life, success and access to knowledge and learning resources. In the following papers of the last decade (2006-2015) are proposed models of music therapy for students with special learning difficul- ties in a psycho educational setting. There are also defined future research perspectives concerning the applications of technology in this particular research field. Index Terms—Special learning difficulties, Dyslexia, Atten- tion Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autistic Spec- trum Disorders I. INTRODUCTION Concerning learning disabilities, novel word learning is regarded as problematic for children with severe language impairments. Electronic storybooks when used to support vocabulary acquisition are quite effective [1]. E-learning and e-teaching are used in different educational contexts promoting the inclusion of students with special disabili- ties in education [2]. There is also a description of a usa- bility evaluation of a web portal so as to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities, especially around the period of “transition” [3]. Effectiveness of iPad computer- ized writing instruction was evaluated for the 4th - 9th graders with diagnosed specific learning disabilities (SLD) affecting writing like dysgraphia, dyslexia, oral and written language learning disability [4]. This is a clinical case study of a three year old girl called Lily with child- hood apraxia of speech (CAS) and the effects that music therapy has on her treatment [5]. Considering the learning difficulties that students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) face every day, the development of a multimedia Learning Environment (LE) is introduced in the next study [6]. As far as dyslexia is concerned, there is a critical review on the use of Virtual Reality (VR) and its applications in developmental dyslexia [7]. Furthermore the next study enhances learning via critical thinking, multimodal learn- ing and motivational approaches [8]. Children with DD can be helped a lot, by music teachers, because of the temporal nature of cognitive issues in the disorder [9]. Afterwards there is an emphasis on IMLO (Interactive Multimedia Learning Object) [10]. Music therapy is ideal for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) [11]. Illustrating the reflection of a composer’s or performer’s emotions onto his/her music, it seems that there is also a relation between musi- cal expression and psychopathology, which is shown in the work of great composers [12]. Another study investi- gates leisure activities, particularly Internet activities, among boys and girls with ADHD and compares these with children from the general population [13]. A framework was developed for carers (teachers and parents) to help them create personalized social stories for children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) [14]. The use of iPad2® for students with autism runs on a 10- step task analysis, which examines the effects of systemat- ic instruction [15]. Digital technology contributes with a multidimensional forum for the creation and implementa- tion of social stories [16]. In order to test this hypothesis that individuals with autism are less responsive to the emotional content of music than typical ones, there was a comparison of a group of high-functioning autistic adults with a group of normal emotional responsiveness to music [17]. A multimedia platform analysis is developed using web standards which focuses on children’s individual interests [18]. New horizons have appeared with the ad- vent of touch screen that allows a more natural interaction for children with cognitive and motor impairments [19]. The article emphasizes in music therapy and virtual envi- ronments for assisting children with ASD socializing via music activities, using techniques of music therapy, which include free and structured musical improvisation [20]. The proceeding study provides an empirical evaluation of a music intervention for high functioning adolescents and young adults with ASD using a music program called ‘SoundScape’ [21]. A set of videogames, called Pictogram Room Project for children and adults with autistic spec- trum disorder (ASD) in Spain is implemented next [22]. Finally two projects are presented: the Virtual Reality applications Research Team (VIRART) and the COSPATIAL [23]. II. CATEGORIES OF SPECIAL LEARNING DIFFICULTIES A. Learners with Reading and Writing Difficulties Although it is difficult for children with severe lan- guage impairments to learn fast, electronic storybooks when used to support vocabulary acquisition is quite ef- fective [1]. A total of 23 kindergarten SLI children heard 8 storybooks each four times: (a) two static stories without music or sounds, (b) two static stories with music or sounds, (c) two video stories without music or sounds, and (d) two video books with music or sounds. All the exper- iments showed that story book reading is very effective language intervention for SLI children (Severe Language Impairments). There might be some limitations in word learning concerning the memory capacity to these chil- dren. The more time one spends on the computer (listen- ing to music), especially when reading e-books even with- out adults support the more familiar with difficult words can become [1]. E-learning and e-teaching are both applied by teachers at all levels of education [2]. Electronic teacher includes a system of learner and teacher activities. The educators 12 http://www.i-jes.org