However, other studies report that iPad-based interventions are no more effective (and in some respects less effective) than alternative interventions. Agius and Vance (2016) found that three children with ASD mastered a series of requesting behaviors in a similar timeframe when trained on PECS and an iPad-based SGD. Although children achieved similar proportions of independent requesting with both AACs post- intervention, they required fewer prompted responses when learning via PECS (making it more efficient) and follow-up data suggested that maintenance of iPad-supported requesting was reduced.
compared the effectiveness of a reading comprehension intervention when instruction was teacher- directed or iPad-assisted. While both interventions improved reading comprehension and reduced task refusal, the teacher- directed intervention was relatively more effective at promoting target behaviors.