Assistive Technology in Education for children with autism:
Technology can be used to assist education in many ways throughout the classroom. People and students that have disabilities have been aided by technology in various forms. So what is autism? How can technology help? And what is assisted technology education?
Autism is a disability that can be caused by a multiple of reasons and it has a broad spectrum of severity and symptoms. Autism is a disorder of complex brain development. The general symptoms that a child can experience involve social interaction problems, limited interest in activities, and verbal and non-verbal communication issues.
How can technology aid those with autism? Technology can be used to give children an opportunity to interact with other children and people through other ways of communication such as email, globs, or videos. Children with autism can express their needs and desires through different forms of communication. In addition children can interact with other children while working on a project that involves computer work. Some children with autism have a hard time sitting still in class so something like a pair of headphones that they can use to listen to music while completing a writing or creative arts project. In addition children with autism can use digital images, cameras, video recorders, or instruments to express themselves and connect with the classroom.
Assistive technology is something that is extremely beneficial for children with and without disabilities. Technology is a tool to aid learner but it is important to not rely completely on technology for information and learning. Much of autism and other disabilities have relations to communication. Although we can use technology to help us communicate with one another and we need to be sure and teach children how to communicate with each other without technology. I believe that in order to stay up to date with technology teachers should use resources such as the top technology tips for classroom teachers and free technology for teachers (see citations below). When teachers are aware of the latest technology tools that they can have the opportunity to use them. It is important for teachers to stay up with the latest technology and information in order to adapt their classroom to aid the children for their future.
Evaluating, Selecting, and Using Appropriate Assistive Technology by Jan Galvin and Marcia Scherer.
http://www.edzone.net/~mwestern/
Hey JJ!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was researching the assistive technology, I found a lot of information on how it helps Autistic children! I had never really thought about this, and since I haven't been in a special ed. classroom very much, I haven't seen it be put to use. But it's so neat to read about how all these different things can aid these children and help them live a better lifestyle with the fact that they can now clearly express their ideas, thoughts, feelings and comments!
I don't have a lot of experience with autism either, but everything I've read and heard about it is that it can be really hard to deal with. It's inspiring to know that technology can help us with issues like these, making everyone's life a little easier. Nice research!
ReplyDeleteI've never really thought of emails and blogs as assistive technology but you bring up a great point about students that have a hard time interacting with others face to face. Great ideas!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, its important to not rely completely on technology for information and learning, because as teacher we should know that children learn best when they can feel with their hand.
ReplyDeleteI really like this post JJ! I've learned that simple technology I use everyday can help autistic children. Something as simple as allowing a child to use headphones while they work can make a positive difference in someone's life, what an amazing concept! I'll definitely look at more resources online to learn more. Most importantly, I appreciated that you addressed how invaluable it is to teach our students how to communicate WITHOUT using technology. Although it has great benefits, good communication skills will help promote future success outside of the clasroom.
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