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My 25-year-old niece, who has Angelman Syndrome and is not verbal, has never shown any interest in print books beyond throwing them. She was given a sturdy children's Kindle Fire for Christmas last year, and we are astounded at the way she relates to it. Despite poor motor control, she quickly learned how to find and play movies. She can turn the pages of ebooks by swiping, and she studies the pictures. She has never shown the slightest interest in turning the pages of a print book, probably because it is difficult for her. She won't allow anyone else to touch her tablet, nor does she need anyone's help. She finds and listens to her own music and will even listen to an audible book for short periods if the reader is animated.
That Kindle Fire has opened the world to her as no print book ever could. She sleeps with it and clutches it throughout the day. Now she has a duplicate tablet since charging it was a nightmare.
This is a bit off topic, but I think it's important to suggest that perhaps young children also may relate to print and tablets in different ways and that both can be important to their development.
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