Please review the following article:
http://www.centralmethodist.edu:2089/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=3640bf76-7916-4a1d-ad50-1f935f2ef531%40sessionmgr111&hid=127
Though I am not a teacher at present, I am an advocate for many children who have special education placement concerns. The children I see have a varying levels of functioning and almost all have a diagnosis of autism. How do you see advances in technology for our children and families who are affected by a diagnosis of autism in the classroom?
Please review the following article: http://www.centralmethodist.edu:2089/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=3640bf76-7916-4a1d-ad50-1f935f2ef531%40sessionmgr111&hid=127
35 Comments
Laurel Thornton
4/24/2013 09:33:23 am
I think technology can reach these kids in a way that was not available before. In my experience, so many people with autism have a knack for technology. I love that they can find thier strength there. The most important thing it does is to assist them in communication. If they're able to communicate they can achieve anything.
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Mary McGee
4/24/2013 01:31:40 pm
So true Laurel, one of my favorite sayings is "he may not speak but he has so much to say." I know once child who has a verbal vocabulary of about ten words but if you put him in front of a computer he can write beautiful stories and poetry.
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Cassandra Nappier
4/24/2013 04:18:41 pm
I agree, I believe that communication is key. My uncle has a form of autism. He connects the most with cameras. He loves to take pictures of the people he loves and things he sees as being important. At the moment he is still slightly intimidated by the internet, but loves to go to weather.com and share with everyone what the weather is predicted to be like where they live.
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Heather Carlton
4/25/2013 03:54:18 am
That's neat that he has found a hobby he loves as well as an activity to put his energy into.
Armegis Spearman
5/4/2013 03:29:26 pm
I also have a friend with an uncle that has a form of it. He could hold a job with a family sacking groceries because he could remember names and faces along with any other information that is mentioned about them. He started to do the same when he was taught to play a football game on a console. He instantly became the best after a day.
Crissina Kemp
5/1/2013 01:41:18 pm
I don't have much experience with students who have autism, but I read some interesting information on new socially assistive technology for students with autism that I thought would probably be beneficial, especially if like you say, they have a knack or strength for using technology.
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Cassandra Nappier
4/24/2013 04:15:07 pm
I could not get the article to open up. However, I understand the importance of being able to reach out to everyone. I believe that everyone should be given every chance possible to learn. It has already been proven that computers are a big help for those who have autism. Check out this youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xsfNrG5Bnw
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Kayla Y.
4/26/2013 01:05:48 am
Your video was very interesting, and offered up a lot of insight and information to delve on. I also think that computers are a great tool for reaching autistic children and being sure that they don't get left behind because of their disability.
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Mary McGee
4/26/2013 01:18:29 am
Love the video! I have seen so many great things for our children who have a diagnosis as a result of assistive technology!
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Colie Trawick
4/26/2013 01:25:31 am
Yes, I believe technology plays a huge part in children with autism. Most of them don't like to be touched and this allows them to learn and do things on their own with minimal contact from another person
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Caleb Haynes
5/1/2013 07:33:00 am
I definitely agree with this statement and feel like technology can be a way to help get children with autism more involved in certain activities and more interested.
Crissina Kemp
5/1/2013 01:51:46 pm
Wow, thanks for the link to the video! It really put things in perspective about how much computers and technology can help students with autism communicate with others in their life using a device because they cannot express it themselves. It makes me wonder whether it should be more of a priority for schools to get the technology to students with disabilities who may be able to benefit from it more than students in regular classrooms who do not have disabilities.
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Mary McGee
4/25/2013 01:12:25 am
I have heard a few people were unable to get the article to come up, I have had the same problem with other postings. If you sign on to library resources under your MyCMU you can access it there the title is: Virtual Ed. Targets the rise of autism.
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Heather Carlton
4/25/2013 03:52:44 am
I think technology is a great way for autistic children to express themselves and build on their strengths.
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Laurel Thornton
4/25/2013 10:00:58 am
Thanks for sharing. I've never heard of video modeling, but it makes sense. Kids (people) with autism are so visual, and bringing technology into might peek thier interests. Really educational. Thanks!
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Kayla Y.
4/26/2013 01:08:13 am
You shared some great information in this article that you found. The apps that it listed were all very intriguing. I had no idea how some of these tools could be so beneficial to autistic children.
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Mary McGee
4/26/2013 01:21:41 am
lots of good information here. My favorite is the IPAD. We had one child in our practice who used many apps geared toward ASD. He was a pro and you could see a great difference in him with the use of technology.
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Wendy Walker
4/26/2013 02:56:46 am
I am amazed at the variety of apps that are out there! It is great to see children communicate and gain confidence in their ability to do a variety of things with technology.
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Kayla Yount
4/26/2013 01:04:24 am
I think that technology has made tremendous bounds in being available to everyone. I think that autistic children actually exceed expectations when using technology. It's almost as if it's a world where they feel comfortable interacting because they can do it through technology. This allows for them to be able to communicate much easier with the people around them. I think that they can learn so much better through technology because they can feel more comfortable in their learning environment.
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Mary McGee
4/26/2013 01:23:19 am
Kayla I agree! Most of our children excel at computers and they love them. We taught our youngest son words through the use of a lap top. He loved the recorder and once he figured out that he could talk to it and hear it talk back his vocabulary exploded!
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Troy Holbrook
4/27/2013 02:57:19 am
Anytime we can take measures to make an individual's life more fulfilling, then we should make every effort to do so. Obviously, there are always going to be tensions between resources and effectiveness. Some technology is very expensive and realistic evaluations need to be made, aside from emotions, to make sure that the outcomes of implementing and incorporating technology warrant the cost of doing so.
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Melissa Lovette
4/29/2013 11:14:26 am
You made a good point about autistic children exceeding expectations when using technology. The student I had last year did not like to work with students at all, communication was not his strong point. However, when working on the computer with someone he was a totally different student.
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Colie Trawick
4/26/2013 01:19:47 am
Working at a Special Services school for two years, I've seen first hand how a child with autism can get an education and become great citizens and workers. The use of technology and exposing them to a variety of different skill sets, they will begin to show you what their interest are. I am a huge believer in finding what they are good at and focusing on that skill, and possibly that trade for them as well. I've heard many success stories, of how adults on the spectrum have made huge contributions to society. Many of these adults work for Apple, and Apple is a company that has made huge strides in out technology driven world.
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Mary Mcgee
4/26/2013 01:25:26 am
We often say that NASA is the sheltered workshop for individuals who have an Aspergers diagnosis. Bill Gates is rumored to have an ASD diagnosis, can you imagine where the world of computers would be without his input? Thanks for your work with our children, and thanks for having a vision of what they can do!!
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Wendy Walker
4/26/2013 02:55:05 am
I am not currently teaching full-time either, but I have worked as an aide sub for a few autistic children. I think technology works so well for them because austism has a lot to do with sensory detail. The vivid graphics and immediate feedback tend to keep autistic children engaged, even if it is usually not for long periods of time. it also helps with their ability to communicate. They can write and draw and do so many other things on an iPad or computer that they normally cannot do. It is wonderful to see them having fun with learning. I have also witnessed the motivation they have to use the technology as they will often do their work if the prize is to use the iPad.
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Mary McGee
4/28/2013 10:16:55 am
I agree that sensory issues can be helped by technology especially in the classroom where sounds, sites and touches can be so distracting. I also think they thrive with computers because most of the time the actions are black and white.
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Melissa Lovette
4/29/2013 11:05:14 am
Yes, I couldn't agree with you more in that sensory issues are a problem. I've worked with several autistic children and sounds seem to be the most distracting.
Troy Holbrook
4/27/2013 02:50:52 am
I found an article called Assistive Technology for Children with Autism, written by Susan Stokes. Assistive technology is defined as any technology that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. This article discusses the different modes of implementing technology and the following three levels: The rest of this article will outline the various skill areas commonly associated with children with autism, with supporting technology strategies defined as follows:
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Mary McGee
4/28/2013 10:19:40 am
Troy I love this article and saved it to my favorites. I really enjoyed talking about using technology for making a visual schedule, for example using a camera to take pictures of familiar places and things. This gives so much room for teacher and student interaction, they can go around the school and decide which pictures are interesting and which ones to use for the schedule.
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Melissa Lovette
4/29/2013 11:00:25 am
I truly believe technology can play a huge role in the learning of a child with autism. Technology allows them to stay focused and zoned on one task without the outside distractions of a traditional classroom setting. I had a student last year with autism and he couldn't stand the noise, lights or sounds however, when given a task involving technology he was able to work with no problems. He moved onto fourth grade this year and we recently had a tornado come by the school so we had to take cover in the FEMA building. His teacher brought the iPad because he cannot handle noise whatsoever, not even assemblies. He was able to handle the "drill", ignore the noise and stay calm because he was working on the iPad. I feel students with disabilites are like any other student in that they all learn in different ways. If that means technology is a way for them to grasp concepts then use it.
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Mary McGee
4/29/2013 04:29:44 pm
So very true that is great that he has access to an i-pad
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Armegis Spearman
5/4/2013 03:42:50 pm
I think there is some type of advantage to technology and autism as I have witnessed more than one child that I thought had the condition also had an Ipad in a diner. I thought it seemed odd that they would let him break it until they reset the program or game that he was working on. They were nice people that loved their son and this was an easy and inexpensive solution to a small piece of the big picture for them.
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Caleb Haynes
5/1/2013 07:31:35 am
I believe that technology is great for children with autism. It is a way for them to be able to learn in an isolated manner which might be the best for them in some instances.
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Crissina Kemp
5/1/2013 01:38:34 pm
I could not open the article, but can see how technology could be beneficial for students with autism. Assistive technology has been available for students with autism, but as fast as technology evolves, I'm sure it is getting better for these students. I read some information online about robots, visual learning software, and other socially-assistive technology being used for students with autism which I thought was very innovative. I think as this technology improves, so will the learning benefits for students with autism. It should probably be more of a priority for students with these types of disabilities to have access to technology before student without disabilities in regular classrooms.
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Armegis Spearman
5/4/2013 03:25:23 pm
I grew up with a classmate that was autistic and he was totally away from it all until we got into a math class. This is just one of the ways that I have viewed personally that has helped but I have also watched specials that have proved that music and even art helps in other cases. I am sure that there are ways that technology can aide in the process of finding treatment for it also.
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Student BlogThis blog is for class conversations for ED 514 at Central Methodist University. These post are by the students of ED 514. We invite input form other teachers about how they use technology in their classrooms. Archives
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