Draft: Using Tablets to Help Autistic Students Learn

                                 Using Tablets to Help Autistic Students Learn

Photo Credit: Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz), Creative Commons License

My cousin’s son Spencer is autistic. I remember when he was first born wondering about what life would be like for him. What would he be capable of? Would he be able to succeed in school? The Oxford English Dictionary defines autism as “A condition which has its onset in childhood and is marked by severely limited responsiveness to other persons, restricted behaviour patterns, difficulty with abstract concepts, and usually abnormal speech development." It is easy to see how children who have experienced any of the above may struggle to learn in traditional, low-tech classrooms. However, fortunately for Spencer and so many others like him, we live in a time where useful technologies such as iPads and other tablets are easily accessible and affordable.

So what exactly are the benefits of using tablets to teach autistic students? Author Temple Grandin, who has experienced Autism herself, addresses this issue. She writes, "These devices are an improvement over previous computers because the keyboard is right on the screen; autistic viewers don't have to move their eyes to see the result of their typing." She then adds, "First, they're cool. A tablet is not something that labels you as handicapped to the rest of the world. Tablets are things that normal people carry around. Second, they're relatively inexpensive...And the number of apps seems limitless."

Tablets can be used to help autistic students learn in ways that build on their strengths rather than their weaknesses. A variety of apps can be used to provide students with opportunities to learn through watching videos and using interactive features. For example, among the available options are interactive e-books, which helps the process of reading be more varied. Other available apps include videos and educational games. The possibilities are far-reaching. Because tablets are so popular, even more apps and learning tools could be developed specifically to help autistic children.

Perhaps one of the most useful features of tablets is their ability to play videos. Plavnick cites a study of video modeling that was done in 2000 which had hopeful results. Out of 5 participants, four children learned desired behaviors more quickly when the behaviors were modeled via video. The fifth child learned at the same pace regardless of whether behavior was modeled in person or via video (Charlop-Christy, Le, and Freeman, cited by Plavnik). A similar study by a school librarian found, "In our small sampling, every child with autism improved when using the iPad and interactive e-book over text books, except one. However, that student answered 100% of the comprehension questions correctly on all four assessments. There were no students whose comprehension decreased when using the iPad and interactive e-book. The rate of increase in comprehension when using the iPad and interactive e-books was 21% in students in middle school grades, 25% in students in the high school grades, and 21% in students ages 18-22. All three groups showed statistically significant improvements in information acquisition when using the iPad, interactive e-books" (Price).

So what is the take-away from all of this? Students who are autistic frequently have difficulties in responding to other people. This can severely restrict learning. However, tablets and other similar technologies can allow autistic students to learn in a way that best meets their individual needs. This will give them the opportunity to succeed by using their own unique abilities to learn in a way that meets their individual needs. Spencer will soon be entering middle school. When he does, I hope that he is given the opportunity to use tablets and other technologies to help him succeed.

Works Cited:

"Autism, n.". OED Online. September 2013. Oxford University Press. 6 December 2013 <http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/13363?redirectedFrom=Autism>.

Grandin, Temple and Richard Panek. "Excerpt: Author Temple Grandin Reports on The Autistic Brain." Time. Time Magazine, 19 May 2013. Web. 6 December 2013.

Plavnick, Joshua B. 1., plavnick@msu.edu. "A Practical Strategy for Teaching a Child with Autism to Attend to and Imitate a Portable Video Model." Research & Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities 37.4 (2012): 263-70. Web.

Price, Amy. "Making a Difference with Smart Tablets." Teacher Librarian 39.1 (2011): 31-4. Web.