Using the Reminders App to Support Student Executive Functioning

Key's Quick Tips are provided by Kelly Key, Assistive Technology Coordinator for Barrington 220. Each month, I will feature a tool available on the iPad to support our students, including short video demonstrations. This month, I am highlighting how to use the Reminders app to support executive functioning for students.

The Reminders app is available on every iPad. This could be a very useful tool for our students that have difficulty with executive functioning. They can use it as a checklist, or set visual and auditory reminders to go off at a certain time (or location)! Students can share the reminder with you and you can add to it from your iPad. You can also add photos and icons as visual supports.

Check out all of the different ways to use it as well as a video tutorial below...

• Use as a planner to put their homework in (goes off when they get home) and shows them the list
• Pack something for homework (goes off at the end of the day)
• Go to the nurse for meds at a certain time
• Go to a therapy (i.e., speech) at a certain time
• Prepare a student for a transition (i.e., in 5 minutes we will pack up and go to PE)
• This can be used as a task list or visual schedule, they can check it off as they complete the list
• Set it for certain intervals- teach the student when they get the alert to monitor their behavior (i.e., are you listening, looking at the teacher, on task with your assignment, etc.)

Comment below if you have additional ideas to share!