What can the iPad do for you?

The iPad has not changed my child's life.  Not yet.

But it has....

• taught him the fine art of internet shopping, as I realized he downloaded some apps all on his own.  Thankfully, free ones.  He has to have my password to buy them,  which I'm sure he'll hack sometime soon.
• given him a way to tell me when he is gassy and burpy, which he loves to show me quite often with the Autism Xpress app (his absolute favorite app).
• widened his social circle.  He may have been avoided by some of the older kids at Corbin's basketball practice in the past, but now he has many groupies.  They are drawn to that iPad as if by a magnet.
• allowed him to make some of the neatest letters I have ever seen (coming from him).  Without the nuisance of a writing tool he is able to do quite well.  
• given him a way to make his big brother jealous.  He has never had a toy or anything prior to this that Corbin coveted.  Now he can totally manipulate his big brother to do what he wants.  
• been a great way to show others that he really does have cognitive skills that they didn't think he had.
• made for some good gossip for all the other bored parents who have nothing better to talk about.  Oh, I heard you talking behind me about how ridiculous it is that a little boy has an iPad to "play" with.  You can shove it.