Using the iPod touch & iPad for Students

with Autism

Jamie Callahan & Brie Van ReedKate Deibert, Marierose Godwin, & Lauren Spiece

BCASC Conference, March 19, 2011

Overview◦ How did we get started?◦ Who are these devices for?

Application Review◦ Behavior◦ Academic◦ Organization/independence◦ Communication/Social Skills

Setting up a device Hands On/Questions

Agenda

Funding◦ Foundations

What do we have?◦ iPod touches (with and without cameras) 23◦ iPads 9◦ Cases for touches and pads 29◦ Microphones 12◦ Flip Cameras 25◦ Kodak Flips 2◦ Tripods 15◦ Document Cameras 4◦ Smart Boards 2◦ iTunes Apps $500◦ MAC Book

How did we get started?

Varied learners

Starts with a need◦ Identify area to target

Data collection before and during intervention of technology

Not a cool toy, it’s not for everyone

Who are these devices for?

Behavior ApplicationsKid Point Tracking Students receive points for

good behavior. Great way to track behaviors.

iReward Choose the behavior you are trying to reinforce, choose

your reward, and then choose the number of times the

behavior needs to be completed before the reward

is earned.

iRewardChart iRewardChart makes it easy to reward your child or

student for good behavior and keep them motivated. Stars are earned for good behavior and the child can

pick from a list of customized rewards.

Academic ApplicationsMathKids Tell Time A talking application with

several interactive elements that reinforces learning and maintains students’ engagement.

Money- Learn To Count Money

This application teaches students to learn how to

count with money by providing them with

practice problems. The simplistic design helps

students gain confidence and accuracy when

counting money.

Academic Applications MathMath Drills

Graphically rich and fun environment allows up to 10 students to learn basic math skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. This application allows the teacher to visually track student progress with

accuracy and speed graphs.

Rocket MathStudents can play one of the 56 different math missions. Each mission has touchable

objects floating in space, including stars, coins, clocks, 3D shapes, and even pizzas! Missions range in difficulty from even/odd numbers all the way to square roots.

Academic Applications Language Arts

Question Builder Question Builder is designed to help

elementary aged children to learn to answer abstract

questions and create responses based on

inference.

Sentence Builder Sentence Builder was designed to help

elementary aged children learn how to build

grammatically correct sentences.

Academic Applications Language Arts

AudioNote Lite AudioNote combines the functionality of a notepad

and voice recorder to create a powerful tool for a student to save them time while improving the quality

of his/her notes.

Sight WordsThis application allows the students to choose from

over 300 sight words and is presented by grade levels. Students can read and/or

spell the sight words.

Time’s Up Time’s Up allows the user to set multiple timers at once

to go off at different intervals, continues to run even when you leave the

app* Great for teaching

independent work skills and off-task behavior

Visules Visual and text schedule that allows the user to place checkmarks when

task is completed

Independence/Organization

iPrompts App that allows you to customize visual schedules,

create task analysis, and has specific activities with

timers with pictures

Calendar/clock (free

Able to set reminders & can use timer regardless of

various programs running

Independence/Organization

Social SkillsStories2Learn App that allows you to

create social stories specific to the student,

can upload pictures

Social Skills Pre-made social stories with two levels, on the

following areas: Reciprocal Play; Task

Avoidance; Turn Taking; Gestures; Recess; and School Rules. Can be

modified and own ones created

101 Conversations

Starters

App for middle school and high school students that provides them with ideas of topics to talk

about or to start a conversation with.

Hidden Curriculum for Kids

These real-life based entries spur conversations about the countless “unwritten

social rules” that we encounter every day and that can cause confusion

and anxiety.

QuickCues QuickCues is a social script app that helps teens and

young adults to handle new situations and learn new

skills. Comes pre-installed and provides help with

conversations at school or work, listening, and talking

on the telephone. It also gives tips on reading body

language and finding shared interests with others.

Social Skills

Proloquo to Go Assistive communication app, allows students to communicate through pictures with text, can

customize boards, ability to use type to text

Look2Learn Allows individuals to work at their communicative level

using photographs to express wants and needs. Integrates preloaded vocal output or users are able to

record their own personalized audio and pair

it with photos. Easily modified by number of

photo choices, photo sizing, and own photos uploaded

Communication

Do not be intimidated! Setting up the device

◦ Communication How do you teach your child or student to use it?

Helpful Tips◦ New upgrade to iTunes◦ Restrictions◦ Delete apps off◦ Only synched to one computer◦ Files

Now that you have a device…

A sampling of the research support:1. Kathy Walsh Nufer column: Students with Autism Piloting Communication Apps.

www.postcrescent.com. February 2, 2010Ms. Nufer observed the use of iPod Touches with students on the spectrum to be highly successful. These pilots have demonstrated that students can have the device individualized to meet their needs; they require less fine motor skills than a computer and have led to a higher level of independence for students.

2. Kimball, Jonathan W. and Smith, Karl, Crossing the Bridge: from the Best Practice to Software Packages Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, Vol. 22 number 2 summer 2007 pages 131-134.This article calls for a National Autism Technology Center to further explore the great success students on the Autism Spectrum have had using technology to enhance their skills. Technology successes have been seen in the use of reinforcers, visual tools, management tools and links to home.

3. Lacava, Paul, Golan, Offer, Baron-Cohen, Simon and Brenda Smith Myles. Using Assistive Technology to teach Emotion Recognition to Students with Asperser Syndrome. Remedial and Special Education, Volume 28, number 3, May/June 2007, pages 174-181This article investigates the use of technology to assist higher functioning students draw interpret social information from non-verbal cues.

Research

If you have child specific questions, ask one of us during hands on time

Any questions for the good if the group?