Technology and Autism

        This week we took a look at articles and webcasts about Autism and technology. Each article and webcast helped to describe autism and explain how technology is such a great supplemental resource for students who have autism. Since I work with students who have autism, I was able to relate to the use of some of the assistive technology and connect to the stories that were shared. Here are some of my thoughts on the webcast and articles.
       I am the Master of My Emotions webcast, talked about emotions of a typical child and the emotions of a child with autism. The webcast went into great detail about the common signs of emotion and how that differs between children. A typical child will express emotions through verbal behaviors, language, gestures, and facial expressions. This allows us to know how a child is feeling periodically throughout the day and it gives us a chance to respond back. A child with autism does not express emotions in the same way. In many cases, a child with autism will have no significant change in facial expression or have any facial expression at all. The lack of facial expressions can then prevent us from responding or telling them how they are feeling. That means the children are not necessarily learning about feelings and cannot generalize how they feel.
       In the webcast, they used the example of ice cream. With a typical child we will see them enjoying ice cream with a big smile on their face and respond with "Isn't that ice cream good? You like that ice cream." With a child with autism, we might see them eating the ice cream but have no facial expression and no response from us. We judge facial expressions to see how children are feeling. Children with autism do not always show how they are feeling with facial expressions. "If we do not label emotions, they cannot learn to label them later on."
       As teachers, we have to remember to recognize all types of children and give them all an opportunity to learn. This means responding to everything a child does and ensure that we are teaching emotions. We need to remember to model what they are feeling not what we are feeling. Teachers need to teach lessons when appropriate and tell them what they are feeling and then have them repeat it back. This gives children a chance to learn about how they are feeling and know when it is appropriate to express that feeling. It is also important to give a contrasting feeling. This gives children a chance to figure out other emotions they may be feeling.
       I have experienced situations similar to this in the past. When a child uses PECS and uses the cues "I feel happy" they may not look happy or seem happy. It is important to teach the children what being happy means and in what situations you might feel that way.  One way to help with teaching emotions and expressing emotions is by using assistive technology. Children can use iPads and applications to share how they are feeling and express their needs and wants. I found this webcast to be full of information and allowed me to look at emotions and autism in a different way.
       Technology Helps Children Deal with Autism in School by Janice Youngwith, discusses the forms of technology used by children with autism. The technology can range from an iPad to an iTouch to a PECS book. A main way the technology is used is as a form of communication. This creates more advanced communication at school and at home. Students have a chance to learn about "social skills and emotions of the people around them." The technology gives students a chance to connect to the world around them and become more comfortable with communicating with others.
       I thought this article helped to describe all the great technology that is out there for students with autism. There are many cheap resources that students and teachers can use to help children communicate. Assistive technology gives students a chance to check their schedule, plan for the day, express emotion, and communicate with peers, teachers, and family. Autism is complex but with the proper technology resources and tools, students can feel more comfortable and confident in the classroom. I have seen how well iPads help students communicate and how they are able to express emotions much easier. I think that iPads and the apps that are available are a great supplement to student learning.
        Technology and Autism, talked about technology and how it can improve the quality of life in children with autism. They take a look into different applications that have helped their children to communicate more effectively. One application that stood out to me was the Tap to Talk app. This app can be used in many different languages and can be used by children and adults. The application provides picture symbols and words that can be tapped and then read aloud. This gives children with autism a new form of communication that may be helpful to them with self expression. Children are now given a resource that allows them to communicate more effectively at home and at school.
      I liked how this website gave real life examples of technology resources and apps that children with autism can use. There are so many success stories from the application users and that just goes to show how technology is such a well developed resource and can really help improve the quality of life.
       In my classroom, I have used the Sono Flex app which allows students to communicate through picture symbols and words. This app allows you to add new picture symbols and words and build phrases and sentences. I feel that this app helps students to feel more comfortable communicating and  expressing their wants and needs. I plan to look into more apps and technology resources that are available for students with autism and other learning disabilities.

Misunderstood Minds

       Misunderstood Minds, provides great insight into the reality of students with learning disabilities. As teachers, we may over look the severity of a learning disability and often do not notice signs or symptoms of the disability. This then leads to students feeling lost, discouraged, and different. The best type of learning environment is well supported and offers students the tools they need to succeed. To do this, we as teachers, must recognize signs of a learning disability and support the students in every way that we can to strengthen their knowledge and confidence in learning material.
       After interacting with the reading tab on Misunderstood Minds, I felt the discouragement that many students feel when not being able to accomplish a task or activity. A simple reading prompt my not be so simple to every student. I realized that rushing and moving at a fast pass is not important. The main goal is that every student understands what they have read. I have worked with students in the past who need the same passage read to them three or four times before they can confidently answer the question or questions being asked. I always remind myself that the processing time for everyone is different and the absorption rate is also different. One strategy to help with students who have a difficult time with reading comprehension is providing the student with reading options. These include; reading the text to themselves, reading with a peer, having the teacher read aloud, and using text to voice applications on an iPad and a DynaVox. In this case, assistive technology helps to supplement the learning and understanding of the reading.
       The writing tab on Misunderstood Minds, was very eye opening for me. Sometimes as teachers we assume that if a student can think of an idea or come up with a graphic organizer then they should be able to write the essay. It is not that simple though and there are many more steps that are involved. According to this section, students have a hard time writing the words or letters and then forming those into complete ideas and sentences. I found it interesting how many steps and parts there are to writing, even just a sentence. I realized that I over look some of these steps and it is important to take time with students to ensure that they can complete and understand every step. In this case, assistive technology can be used in the form of a computer with a word document on it. Having the use of a word processor allows the students to concentrate on the writing and less on the formation of letters and words. Students can just type there thoughts or ideas and then put them into sentences a bit easier. This may not work in all cases but it does allow students to have one less thing to think about and to clear their mind to have more precise thoughts.
       The math tab on Misunderstood Minds, was probably the most shocking to me. Providing students with multiple steps can be extremely overwhelming and stressful. Sometimes a simple math problem is hard enough to put together but then add about four more steps to the procedure and it seems impossible. Students with learning disabilities need to be provided with the proper tools to complete each step of each math problem. By giving students one step at a time, we are giving them a chance to find the answer and feel more confident in math. One strategy I have used in the past is covering up every step except for the one that is being read and completed. Then, uncover each following step one at a time. This allows the students to not become  overwhelmed and to understand the problem more clearly. Assistive technology can be used to give support in math class by giving students something as simple as a manipulative or a calculator when needed. Some math problems may seem simple but giving students a manipulative to use might allow them to feel less stress and understand the problem more clearly.
       Fully understanding the different types of disabilities helps teachers to become more effective and provides students with an appropriate learning environment. Misunderstood Minds, allowed me to take a step back and realize how a task may be more difficult than it appears. I have realized that it is important to take the time to get to know every student and fully understand each of their needs. Not every problem will make sense and not every reading with be understood and that is alright. Through teacher support and assistive technology, students can reach their learning goals and feel more confident in the classroom.