Tablets: Tools, Not Miracles:

• Tablets assist presuming capability by enabling visual and alternative communication & education

• Competency expressed and accepted increases self-confidence

Benefits: Accessibility and Convenience:

• Straight touch screen

• Fine motor ease mouse not required (and switch accessories now available)

• So highly handy (but invest in a good case)

• Can change backpacks – and cupboards – of activities

Benefits: Learning:

• Screen is large enough to be digital matching to books or papers

• Keyboard and screen are in the same place, most children are not touch typists, and the child does not have to move his/her eyes from keyboard to screen

• Apps are ordered, available, expectable framework

• Learn with no requiring to read, as well as read-aloud books

• Learn individually or with help (but always supervised)

Benefits: Social and Play:

• IPads are comfortable; they appeal other children including siblings

• Custom story apps allow preparing for alterations, habits, meeting new folks – or re-experiencing said scenarios.

• Face-blindness which is known in autism: labeling and other photo-content apps can provide relating names and characteristics with individuals

• Independent free time: Learning skills, videos, games

Reflection:

I went to a conference in the last semester. In this conference, I have learned a lot of useful information about autism.  The lecturer clarified information about the autism disease and the importance of its diagnosis. The symptoms are: delayed speech and language, lack of response when somebody called, lack of Imitation, and limited use of gesture (pointing). Moreover, the largest increases in Hispanic and African-American children. Siblings of children with autism are at higher risk of developing autism. Tablets inspire presuming competence by empowering visual and alternative communication and learning. Tablets could help in Face-blindness (common in autism): labeling and more photo-content apps can provide relating names and characteristics with people. Researcher explored that an overwhelming majority of children with ASD (64.2 percent) spend their free time using non-social screen-based media, or solitary. Only 13.2 percent spends their time on socially interactive media including email and internet chatting or texting.  Researchers say this is the first study to examine the dominance of screen-based media use through a large nationally representative sample of youths with autism spectrum disorders. The obsession with screen media has been found to lower academic performance, social engagement, behavioral regulation, attention and health in developing children.

Sources:

1- IPad for autism trainings | Laura Shumaker | an SFGate.com blog. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://blog.sfgate.com/lshumaker/2012/10/01/ipad-for-autism-trainings/

2- Asperger's Issues - How iPads & Tablets Can Support Autistic ... (n.d.). Retrieved from http://aspergersissues.tumblr.com/post/42165342188/how-ipads-tablets-can-support

3- Squidalicious: iPads & Autism Workshop in a Can. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.squidalicious.com/2012/01/ipads-autism-workshop-in-can.html