IPAD AS ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION Vojtěch Gybas 1 , Libor Klubal 2 and Kateřina Kostolányová 3 University Of Ostrava, Pedagogical Faculty, Department of Information and Communication Technologies Fráni Šrámka 3, Ostrava, Mariánské Hory, 70900, Czech Republic 1 Mgr., Ph.D. 2 Mgr. 3 Doc. Ing., Ph.D. ABSTRACT According to the currently valid school legislation, pupils with special educational needs can be educated in basic schools of a common type. Until 2016, special schools were designated for these pupils who were diagnosed of mental retardation in a moderate range as their primary handicap. Newly, so-called inclusive school environment enables to join these pupils into basic school education. Nevertheless, many such pupils are educated in special primary schools, where there are the optimal conditions for their development, and these schools are equipped with adequate special pedagogical materials. However, special educators are becoming increasingly aware of ICT. Specifically, iPads. This paper describes a case study of a successful iPad implementation into the pupil's education at a special elementary school. At the same time, the contribution is devoted to the description of the expected outputs according to the valid framework educational program for the special primary education. KEYWORDS Special School, iPad, Case Study, Assisted Access 1. INTRODUCTION Using iPads with pupils in elementary schools carries risks. One of these risks may be pupil´s distraction, who is unable to work with the iPad then. By activating iPad Assisted Access, we can greatly reduce pupil´s distraction and increase workload. 2. IPAD AS ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY Assistive technology can help students overcome the mechanical aspects of writing skill. Using spell-check and grammar, students can concentrate on expressing their ideas, and students can write with confidence, knowing they can easily make changes. In addition, they are able to present their final work, which is clearer and better organized (Batorowicz, Missiuna, & Pollock, 2012). The results of the iPad support study for mothers and their preschool children show that the iPad-enabled assistive technologies in the settings / accessibility tab are applied to pupils with SEN in numerous areas such as reading, writing, communication, day-to-day structure, etc. (Aram & Bar-Arm, 2016; Batorowicz, Missiuna, & Pollock, 2012). The iPad in Education (2012) study adds that introducing the iPad into special education is a step forward. A field study in selected European countries concluded that the iPad, thanks to its ability to access, significantly supports individualized learning that was highlighted as a major benefit of pupils' work with this device. Above all, the ability to control the iPad only visually is highlighted in a case study from Belgium where the iPad is controlled by a SEN pupil who cannot move the upper and lower limbs (SENnett, 2014). IPad access can be used in a variety of ways to suit individual pupils, including those who cannot rely on fingertip control and use other parts of the body (nose, joint finger flexion, etc.). Pupils can control applications that do not require a precise touch and are able to work with the iPad (Flewitt, Kucirkova & Messer, 2014); making accessibility helps to increase the independence of pupils with mental disabilities and helps them to acquire skills in the learning process (Flores, Musgrove, Renner, Hinton, Strozier, Franklin & Hill, 2012). International Conferences Internet Technologies & Society 2019 and Sustainability, Technology and Education 2019 95