The Ipad Can Be A Helpful Learning Tool For Students On The Autism Spectrum

There are many different obstacles autism spectrum individuals have to overcome in their daily lives; social insecurities, eye contact, appropriate spatial awareness etc. But in most cases, their biggest hurdle is mostly their communication skills; it’s been shown that communication impairment is at the heart of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and that children with ASD can show a wide range of communication skills as discussed by Agius and Vance (2015). According to Agius and Vance, there is up to a 30% positive diagnosis of children with ASD who will forever remain nonverbal (no consistent verbal communication). With such a high percentage of ASD children it is recommended that their communication and learning needs are to be addressed by using the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), it has been shown as an effective intervention that addresses individuals with ASD and their learning and communication needs (Ogletree, Morrow-Odom, & Westling, 2015). PECS has helped children and young adults with ASD communicate with those around them; their teachers, peers, parents etc.

It is estimated that one in every sixty eight children will be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (CDC, 2014). In schools around the country these students are struggling in their classroom environment due to deficits in three areas; communication skills, social skills, and repetitive behaviors or interest (Marder & Fraser, 2012). Implementing the use of technology in the classroom like iPad, iPod, android tablets, e-readers, and computers is beneficial to students with autism spectrum disorder. It can increase communication skills, can help make their classroom experience more pleasant, and it gives them the best chance at success.

H., Carpenter, M., Le, L., LeBlanc, L. A., & Kellet, K. (2002). Using the picture exchange communication system (PECS) with children with autism: Assessment of PECS acquisition, speech, social‐communicative behavior, and problem behavior. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 35(3), 213-231.

The Autism Internet Modules (AIM) (2014) was a great sources. AIM has a large amount of modules that allows anyone to view the modules to learn more about autism (Autism Internet Modules, 2014). AIM is a great source to provide general education teachers with more information about autism. In addition, teachers could use AIM to educate his/her classroom and one-on-one paraprofessionals. On this website paraprofessionals could learn more about the autism and what supports they could do to help the student they are working with. AIM (2014) would be a great professional development tool for all teachers, parents, administrators, and paraprofessionals to use. In addition, you can use the site to get certifications in different areas that are associated

This article relies on several previous research studies of the use of iPads in the special education classroom as a means to determine best practices for teachers in implementing the devices in their classrooms. The literature reviewed includes studies on students learning English as a second language and studies showing students with other language barriers using the devices to improve their skills. The literature review also included several studies on students with autism and other intellectual disabilities using the iPad and subsequently improving their communication, social and math skills. The studies also found that students using the iPads showed greater academic engagement, independence and self-determination. Also reviewed was the

Benjamin et al. (2017) found that consistent with their hypothesis ABRACADABRA did increase reading accuracy for students with autism. The researchers believe that programs like ABRA may enhance the willingness of children with autism to engage in instructional content (Benjamin et al., 2017). Children with autism often prefer repetition and predictability, which is heavily used in the ABRA program structure. In addition, Benjamin et al. (2017) found that because pre and posttest were generated from assessments created independently from ABRA, this means that this instructional method could be generalized to a broader set of reading material. Benjamin et al. (2017) also point out that because this intervention featured both computerized

Autism is a developmental problem that affects a small percentage of the young population adult in the United States. Autism is associated with developmental problems that often result in young adults not being able to live their full lives and realize their full potential. Autism is a subject that has been discussed in several journals as professionals seek to find adequate solutions to help children living with autism. Health institutions across the country have taken a variety of steps to help children with autism live a normal life just as other ordinary children. The rapid advancements in technology in the twenty-first century have been pivotal in the general push to help young adults with autism, and the future holds a brighter future for them. The purpose of this literature review is to provide

The author proposes to evaluate the “effects of delivering academic instruction through an iPad versus traditional materials (paper, pencil and flashcards) on the occurrence of challenging and academic engagement behavior for children with ASD (autism spectrum disorder)” (2013, p. 510).

There has been an increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism or other autism spectrum disorders. It is likely as an educator that you will have at least one child with this diagnosis in your classroom. This paper explores some of the methods used to teach autistic children.

There is a lack of equal primary and secondary educational opportunities for student with Autism Spectrum Disorder, in the United States. While there are policies in place to ensure the success of as many students as possible, they are limited in the sense that they generalize. They fail to take into account the unique learning styles of individual students. Pouring funding into the educational system for services gear towards student with disabilities, or in this case, students with Autism, neglects to assist students with Autism specifically inside and outside a Special Education classroom or even those in regular classrooms with Individualized Educational Program (IEP). The issue is that students with Autism have

For many years, students and individuals with disabilities have been fortunate to benefit from federal laws that advocate for protection and equal rights for all students with disabilities as intended by the initiation of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). Furthermore, these individuals have often performed below average not only due to deficits caused by specific disabilities, but because appropriate assistive technology (AT) was not a great discussion that was pursued with adequate funding. Although the number of persons who were being diagnosed with disabilities yearly steadily increased, and more research and knowledge was being sought after for the effectiveness of research strategies and accommodations for disabled students, many students, who were sometimes found ineligible for special education services, were often rejected the opportunity to benefit from assistive technology that could have aided in their transitions and advancements in life. Additionally, some parents are not as well-off as other parents who could afford to purchase whatever appropriate technology was necessary to equip their children for optimum performance in life.

“Never underestimate a child with autism. It’s their differences that make them unique and beautiful.” Autism can be defined as a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by severe deficits is social interaction and communication, by an extremely limited range of activities and interests, and often by the presence of repetitive, stereotyped behaviors. Children that are being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder have increased at a rapid rate in the last decade. Some of the reasons it is becoming more prevalent in society is due to improved diagnoses, broader array of conditions falling within the range of autism, and increased rates of autism in the general population. As a result the number of autistic children in the general classrooms has increased leaving teachers to create strategies that work within their own classrooms to accommodate every student. Teachers are required to prepare students for the classroom with intervention techniques, make specific changes in their classroom based on the students in their class, utilize collaboration among professionals, create supportive interactions among peers, and create a classroom that support student/teacher differences.

There is a wide range of assistive technology for autistic students that allows them to thrive academically. Through assistive technology, students are actually able to learn independently, which reduces the need for one-on-one teacher support and can also assist their educational needs. Assistive technology benefits autistic children with its easy use, unique application, and its ability to improve educational academics, communication, and social skills.

Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder is one of many developmental disabilities that affect students learning. In fact, in the United States, Autism is the fastest-growing severe developmental disorder (“What is Autism,” n.d.). Also, the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder is 1 in 68 children and the prevalence in boys is 1 in 42 children (“What is Autism,” n.d.). Furthermore, Autism Spectrum Disorders also affects the way a child learns and over the years, several teaching strategies have been developed to help teachers to effectively educate students with Autism. Research has also been conducted to develop and test new teaching strategies for Autism and continues in playing an important role in the education of students with Autism.

Flores et al., (2012) was to determine the usefulness of using the Apple iPad as a communication device as compared to using the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). The researchers observed five children with disabilities during a 15-minute snack time. The children alternated between using the Apple iPad as a communication device and the PECS. Each communication behavior of the children was recorded for both types of AAC. The researchers discovered that the five children observed in the experiment displayed mixed results in their preference between the iPad and PECS for communication. Some of the children displayed more communicative behaviors using the iPad, but there was no distinct pattern across all of the students. This study showed that there was not a clear AAC system that was more useful than the other. The study provides limitations such as a small sample size; as a result further research could be done with a larger sample size to also include children who have Down syndrome. This would then yield more results to further analyze in order to determine if there is a more beneficial AAC system (Flores et al. 2012). The authors indicated that the results from the article could lead to further research.