Apple iPad Air 13-inch screen or touch input is not working correctly

The checks in more detail

Touch ID sits in the top button on this iPad, so a button that is stuck may also affect the wake behavior. If touches register in the wrong place, calibrate by turning on AssistiveTouch briefly, since a mis-registered point is often a software glitch fixed by a restart and an update. Check Accessibility, Touch, Touch Accommodations, which can add hold durations and ignore repeated touches. A screen with a dead band across the middle after a drop is hardware. Test in Safe-style conditions by closing all apps.

Apple Support can run diagnostics. Some owners found that a screen protector applied crookedly leaves a thin air gap along one edge that causes erratic touches there. Peel it off and test the bare screen for a day before deciding it is a hardware fault. If you use a paper-feel protector for drawing, note that the textured film changes touch response a little, and an Apple Pencil works through it but finger gestures may feel less accurate than on glass. The Air's screen is large and sensitive to humidity in the air;

a bathroom or kitchen with steam and cooking spray can leave a film that causes erratic touches, so wipe the screen with a slightly damp, lint-free cloth after use in such rooms and let it dry fully. Check the iPad's Accessibility Touch settings for AssistiveTouch and Touch Accommodations, since a setting that ignores repeated touches can make taps seem missed. If you use a left-handed or one-handed layout, the system's Reachability and gesture settings can also change behavior. Reset All Settings, without losing data, is a quick way to return these to default, though it resets Wi-Fi passwords too.