Meta-analysis of Tablet-Mediated Interventions for Teaching Academic Skills to Individuals with Autism.

Ledbetter-Cho et al. (2018) pooled 19 single-case studies that used tablets to teach math, reading, or spelling to learners with autism.

They compared two set-ups: tablets run by the learner versus tablets run by the teacher.

Learner-operated tablets produced bigger academic gains than teacher-operated ones.

Overall, tablet lessons gave a clear boost to school skills.

The finding updates Knight et al. (2013), which warned that tech-based academic evidence was too thin. Five years later, the same type of review now shows solid, positive effects.

Hong et al. (2017) looked at all tablet skills, not just school work, and also found moderate-to-large benefits. Katherine narrows the lens to academics and adds the learner-control twist.

Single-case studies have since echoed the theme: Ledbetter-Cho et al. (2023) used teacher-run video schedules and still saw math gains, while Strang et al. (2017) let kids self-monitor on iPads and raised on-task behavior. Both fit the larger pattern—tablets work, and letting learners tap the screen themselves works even better.

If you run tablet lessons, hand the device to the student. Choose apps that require the learner to touch answers, turn pages, or record their own data. This tiny shift can enlarge academic gains without extra staff time.