Lories Slockbower
Assistive Technology
iPad Reaction Paper
Dec. 19, 2011
The iPad is an effective technology tool for students of many disabilities because
of its touch screen, mobility and apps. Unlike a computer, it doesn’t require the fine
motor skills of a keyboard. Researchers believe autistic children like the iPad because its
touchscreen gives them direct control, rather than a mouse and keyboard. It’s also
universal. They don’t appear different, as if they were using a larger Dynovox. Another
attraction is its calming voice that is always the same, a comfort to an autistic child.
However, most striking are the many apps that have enhanced the communication
abilities of children with some spectrum of autism, a disorder than affects 1 in 110
children. At its cost of $600 and another $200 for the apps, the iPad is cheaper than a
laptop, so school districts can consider it an a cost-effective tool for special needs
students.
The iPad is particularly effective as an augmentative communication tool. Using
the app, Proloquo2Go, autistic children can just point to almost 8,000 current symbols, a
large vocabulary and a natural sounding text-to-speech voice expresses their thoughts.
Rather than carry around a limited, bulky communication board, students can
communicate with the tablet. I could see the thrill on the autistic man’s face in a recent
You Tube video as he used his iPad to order and speak with the waitress. He looked at
the images; added the “I want” and the voice spoke the words that were trapped in his
mind.
In addition to its augmentative communication apps, there are more than three
dozen apps for autistic children including music, reading, social skills and emotions. For
example, AutismXpress helps people with autism recognize and express their emotions
using images of sad, happy, and in-between. This is an amazing app considering the inner
struggle these children face as their emotions are often trapped without an outlet.
In addition to the apps, the iPad has a number of built-in accessibility features that
help special needs children. These include VoiceOver which allows the user to just touch
the feature and hear about it rather than rely on commands; a large touch display that
doesn’t require physical force, just one finger or a stylus and an onscreen keyboard. For
those who are hearing impaired, the iPad has FaceTime video calling so the user can see
the hand gestures and facial expressions of the person with whom they are
communicating. The iPad also includes closed captioning and a built-in headphone jack.
To help the visually impaired user, the device has a display in Braille, screen
magnification with the tap of fingers, and the ability to change the display to white on
black for greater contrast and increase the font size. All these features are easy for a
student to use, and for the autistic child, it gives them control, which is an important
concern for them.
While the iPad is an amazing tool that is changing the lives of those with autism,
we have to remember that the iPad alone doesn’t create the change. The teachers,
therapists and parents who teach the student to use the iPad are key to making sure the
device doesn’t become a babysitter. I read an article by Daniel Donahoo who wrote of
his role to see how early childhood intervention specialists can use the iPad. He stressed
that the real use of the iPad will come about as the parents and the professionals like the
speech pathologists, educators, occupational therapists, and early childhood development
professional apply their knowledge to the individual needs of the child. He warned that
the iPad could be misused as a way to calm down an excited child; however, that does not
develop the child’s skills. While it’s fine to use it to give the child down time, it can’t be
the only tool. I agree with him that the government needs to provide funding so that
health care professionals, teachers, teachers and parents can be trained to use the iPad
effectively with autistic children and those with other special needs. Another area that
needs development is a way for parents and educators to connect to the iPad with the
child. In order for the device not to become just a distraction, an app needs to allow a
parent or teacher to connect over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to the child’s iPad so they can
participate in the same app. This would also help the autistic child develop socialization.
Overall, the iPad is opening up communication in children whose disorders kept
them in a world to themselves. It’s become the voice of thousands and this will only
expand with technology. As a CBS 60-Minutes clip said, some people observe autistic
children playing with the iPad, touching different images and focusing on the screen and
consider that a waste of time. There’s nothing wrong with that, however, when you
compare it to children who babble to make noise before they finally say that first word. It
will take a long time to track the rate of change the iPad brings about in autistic children.
Yet, to the parents and educators throughout the world who testify to its impact, the
verdict is already in. As Steve Jobs best described it, the iPad is “magical.”