This paper reports on an aspect of a case study of four 11-to-13-year-old students of a Regional Health School (RHS) in New Zealand, using apps on their own mobile devices as part of their mathematics programs. It considers the issue of engaging students in mathematical learning when they are recovering from significant health issues. The paper examines the influence of apps on these students' engagement with mathematical learning through the facilitation of differentiated learning programs. The research design was a case study with semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and observation used to generate the data. A number of themes arose from the data including both the positive and negative influences of apps on student engagement and the influence of apps on facilitating differentiated learning programs. The results indicated that using apps for mathematics had a positive influence on student engagement for most students. The positive student engagement seemed to be partly due to the apps' ability to support differentiated learning.

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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the impact of having a child with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Design/methodology/approach – The author explains the process her family has been through on their TSC journey. Findings – Several themes emerge from the author’s story: a lack of awareness about relatively common conditions such as epilepsy; a dearth of accessible information provided to families; delays in identification/assessment and a lack of follow up on parents’ concerns; the wide range in the quality of advice provided from one professional/service to another; the extent to which parents have to advocate for their children and the importance of social support. Originality/value – Few journal articles explore the impact of complex health conditions on families from their perspective and in their own words. This thought provoking viewpoint piece provides a powerful insight into the reality of having a child with TSC.