Quick Link: 60 Minutes Segment -iPads and Autism Segment

Take a few minutes to watch the 60 Minutes segment about iPad apps and autism!

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7385686n

iPad Apps: Supporting Communication for Young People with Autism (& Links to Moms with Apps)

Have you ever watched a kid pick up an iPad for the first time and just go with it? 


Some parents have found that the same is true for their of children who have autism.  The  iPad is a great way to support learning and communication in that it is user-friendly and easy for children- and parents- to understand. 


Here are two videos that were shared with my by Liz Ditz,  author of the "I Speak of Dreams" blog.  The first video is of a boy with autism. The second video is of his little sister, interacting with the iPad to watch a "home-made" social story about a family trip to a coffee shop, created in the "Stories to Learn" app.


iPAD Spelling App

YOUTUBE INFO:

"Another too-cool app for his iPad, this one all about writing as well as spelling (http://itunes.apple.com/app/iwritewords-handwriting-game/id307025309?mt=8). For each letter in the word, the app says the letter, has him trace it in super-easy guided steps, and his written letter replaces the original letter in the word (at top of screen). When he finishes, the word appears in his handwriting. The program then spells it and pronounces it, displays a kid's illustration of the word -- and Leo gets to shake the original letters into a hole in the corner of the screen. LOVE IT."

STORIES TO LEARN

YOUTUBE INFO:
"Our family (and a friend) worked together to make this social story about visiting our local coffee shop for my son with autism. We used Stories2Learn (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stories2learn/id348576875?mt=8), on our iPad. It was so easy! And he loves it. In fact he loves it so much I had to have his sister demo it, as he loves to play the voiceovers over and over again. :)"


RESOURCES
Moms with Apps
Moms with Apps for Special Needs
Moms with Apps:  Characteristics of great apps for kids with autism


SOMEWHAT RELATED
Posts on the I Speak of Dreams blog:

• What Are The Most Important Research Questions About Interventions for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders?
• What Are The Most Important Research Questions About Interventions for Learning Disabilities?

Cross-posted on the Interactive Multimedia Technology blog.

Autism Every Day: Take 7 minutes and watch this video! Update- read the comments about the controversy this video generated...

UPDATED COMMENT:

The "Autism Every Day" video came to my attention from a parent of a young adult with severe autism who also works as an advocate. The video was also shared by a director of an advocacy/support agency who previously worked with students with severe autism and cognitive delays as a special educator.

After I posted this video, I received a comment from Liz Ditz about the controversy that this video generated within the autism community. Part of the problem is that the video did not depict any positive scenes. For example, if the purpose of the video's creators was to generate awareness of the needs of families raising children with autism, it might have been useful to devote some time showing families who experienced positive outcomes and specific examples of the supports have been put into place.

My deep concern is that in my state (and others),  funding was significantly cut for community support services for young people with severe autism, as well as for young people with severe psychiatric disorders, as well as their families. Special education funds were cut, and we have been prepared to expect a "funding cliff" at the end of the 2010-11 school year.  Related services providers in the schools, such as speech/language therapists and occupational therapists have larger caseloads than in the past, and in some cases, are not replaced if they move.

Below are my original comments, written in an attempt to bring awareness that our schools, community support agencies, and health care systems need to provide more supports for the growing number of children, teens, and young adults with autism spectrum disorders and their families.

ORIGINAL COMMENT
The children with autism in this video are young, and in no time will reach their teen and young adult years. I work with teens and young adults with severe autism in my job as a school psychologist. We need to prepare our middle and high schools for the increased numbers of young people coming through the doors.

If you know of a similar video that targets the needs of teens and young adults with autism, please let me know, and I will share it on this blog and my on-line social networks. I would be willing to help produce a similar video locally, with the cooperation of parents, if one has not yet been produced.

Note: This video will include positive vignettes!

Raising Digital Kids: Robin Raskin's Website & Blog

I just came across Robin Raskin's Raising Digital Kids website, which has many resources that would be of interest to parents as well as teachers. Technology is moving ahead very quickly, and even tech-savvy adults can get behind!

Robin's website is very well organized and focuses on topics such as "Your Digital Home" and "Your Digital Kids". I especially like her byline:

"No one said raising kids in a digital world would be easy; but it can be fun and rewarding, especially if you listen to your Internet Mom."

Robin currently works with the Consumer Electronic Association and is producing a series of conferences and exhibits for the upcoming CES 2009, including the Kids at Play Summit, focusing on young people, and the Silvers Summit, focusing on technology for the wiser, most experienced generation.

The 2009 International CES event will be held from January 8-11 in Las Vegas, NV. There will be an interesting line-up of speakers, touching on topics such as cybersafety, children and social networking, serious games & disruptive technologies, educational technology, mobile technology, technology and families, and more.

Related:

Kids at Play Summit Speakers

Kids at Play Conference Agenda