- One in 50 children globally now have a form of spectrum disorder autism
- Researchers recently found technology can be used to help children with autism develop new skills
- Apps and games visually motivate autistic children in unique ways
- Therapists are now using tech to teach children how to communicate
- Today is the seventh annual World Autism Awareness Day
05:25 EST, 2 April 2014
|
09:39 EST, 2 April 2014
It is thought that up to one in 50 children globally have some form of autism, and this number continues to rise steadily each year.
While there is no cure for the condition, the use of technology in autism treatment has grown in popularity in recent years, but the reasons for its success are only just being highlighted.
Experts are finding that simple, carefully constructed apps are enabling affected children to feel safe and communicate more readily because the software is more predictable and ordered than human interaction.
Researchers have found smartphones and tablets help autistic children develop new skills. Toca Boca, for example, create apps aimed at children aged three to six. Although the games are not specifically designed for children with autism, they have proved popular among parents who have children with the condition
AUTISM AND ITS EFFECTS
Autism is a neurological disorder that affects how a person
communicates, and relates to, other people. It can also affect how they
make sense of the world around them.
People
with autism typically have trouble communicating, looking people in the
eye, and can get upset by loud noises or bright lights.
They may also have a sensitivity to touch, tastes, smells and colours.
In particular, many autistic people like order and predictability.
Autism
is a spectrum condition, which means that while all people with autism
share certain difficulties, their condition affects them in different
ways.
Some people with
autism, for example, are able to live relatively independent lives but
others may have accompanying learning disabilities and need specialist
support.
Asperger syndrome is a form of autism and people with the syndrome are often of average or above average intelligence.
They have fewer problems with speech but may still have difficulties with understanding and processing language.
Toca Boca in Sweden, for example, creates apps aimed primarily at children aged between three and six.
Toca Band encourages children to make music and learn about rhythm and tempo, while Toca Hair Salon Me lets players give their family and friends virtual haircuts.Â
The firm calls the characters in the apps ‘digital toys’ and although the games are not specifically designed for children with autism, they have proved popular among parents who have children with the condition.
Toby Price from Mississippi has a daughter called Addison, 11, who has non-verbal autism.Â
He has noticed a marked improvement in Addison’s behaviour and skills since learning to use an iPad, and the Toca Boca apps.
‘When you have a child with autism take an interest in something, as a parent, you have to run with it,’ explained Price.
‘Addison
uses her iPad to show us things she wants, or places she would like to
go. She uses it to practice handwriting and even counting.
‘As a parent [I am] happy to have found a way to engage our kids with iPads.’
Rhiannan Walton, 32, from West London has been a speech
and language therapist for eight years.
She began using technology
in her therapy sessions with autistic children approximately 18 months
ago.
‘Technology
responds in the same way every time; you press a button and it responds
how you expect it to,’ Walton told MailOnline. ‘This particularly appeals to autistic children
who can become scared and confused by unpredictability.’
Toby Price from Mississippi has a daughter called Addison, 11, pictured, who is non-verbal and has autism. He has noticed a positive improvement in Addison’s behaviour and skills since learning to use an iPad. He said she uses it to show what she wants, or places she’d like to go. She uses it to practice handwriting and counting
Speech and Language Therapist Rhiannan Walton told MailOnline: ‘Technology responds in the same way every time; you press a button and it responds how you expect it to. This particularly appeals to autistic children who can become scared and confused by unpredictability.’ Stock image of Apple’s iOS 7 pictured
Many autistic children like trains, for
example, because they are predictable. They follow set paths along
stable tracks and their doors open and close in the same way each time.
For therapy to work, Walton believes it has to be motivating and said technology
motivates children with autism in a unique way.
‘We
know therapy needs to be motivating for children in general, and
games are particularly motivating for children with autism because they’re
visually appealing.
‘Autistic children aren’t motivated by wanting to please in the same way other children are.
‘Non-autistic
children think ‘this lady wants me to play this game and if I do,
she’ll say well done,’ but autistic children aren’t interested in that at
all.
‘They need to be motivated in other ways – and technology helps
with this.’
Autistic children typically have visual
ways of communicating, and as a result have a visual way of learning and
this is why apps are so effective.
HOW TECH IS BEING USED IN THE CLASSROOM WITH AUTISTIC CHILDREN
In a recent study, researchers from
Canada studied 12 children in six classrooms across Ontario, all of whom
have non-verbal autism spectrum disorder.
These classrooms were given Apple iPads for a six-month trial.
Following
the experiment, nine of the students showed a statistical improvement
ranging from mild to significant in their overall communication skills.
The
devices were also found to boost motivation among 75 per cent of the
children, while also increasing their attention span and ability to
interact socially.
Topcliffe
Primary School in Birmingham recently introduced touchscreen devices
into classrooms and similarly noticed an improvement among the autistic
students.
‘We watched
children with autism playing with the images on the screen in ways in
which none of the typically developing children had done, said
Topcliffe’s spectrum disorders teacher Sarah Quickenden.
‘The normal curriculum that we were offering just wasn’t allowing them to demonstrate these skills to us. We never realised that the children had these skills because some of them are so locked in.’
Walton said the technology can also be used to build other communication opportunities.
‘I give the children in my
therapy sessions the game, let them play it for a while before taking it
away.
‘We then work together to help the child show me that they want it back; they want to play more of the game.’
Once
this skill is developed, Walton continued, it can
be built upon to teach children about taking turns, sequencing, and so
on.
It can also be generalised for other tasks, such as asking for more food or drink.
Researchers from Canada recently studied children with non-verbal autism, stock image pictured, who were each Apple iPads for a six-month trial at school. Following the experiment, nine of the students showed a statistical improvement ranging from mild to significant in their overall communication skills
Walton told MailOnline that apps and games
have the added benefit of appealing to children without autism,
especially the siblings of those who do have the condition.
This means families can manage the child’s condition as a group, and helps siblings play together.
Price’s
son McKade, for example, recently set up a tea party with sister
Addison after she had learned the skills from the Toca Kitchen game.
Autistic children typically have visual ways of communicating and learning. This is why apps such as Toca Hair Salon Me, pictured, are so effective
Walton said many of her autistic patients pick up the games quickly, and have good memory, so will remember skills they’ve learnt when at home with their parents.
Vicki Clarke is the owner and president of Dynamic Therapy Associates with 18 years’ experience as a Speech Language Pathologist and Augmentative Communication Specialist in Georgia.
She told Autism Speaks: ‘People are messy and computers are neat. For our friends with autism, this consistency is easy to understand and comforting.
‘The iPad puts this comfortable, predictable teaching friend right in the hands of our children with autism, regardless of where they are.’
But she continued technology isn’t a ‘miracle cure’.
‘The specific needs of the child need to be the main deciding factor on purchasing any technology,’ explained Clarke.
‘These technologies are simply another tool in our box that have the potential to help meet some of the needs of our children.
‘When deciding on technology options, teams must consider the individual needs of the child and the ability of the app to meet the comprehensive needs for which they are purchased.
‘Families should consult with the professional and personal friends who know the child and can offer input on potential needs of the child.
Today marks the seventh annual World
Autism Awareness Day, in which organisations get together to discuss the
challenges surrounding the disorder, share advice, and look for
solutions.
Â
or comment on this article
-
Daredevil James Kingston back flips on top of Moscow Bridge
-
WARNING – GRAPHIC CONTENT: Woman gets hit by car in Russia
-
WARNING GRAPHIC: Usain Bolt ‘daggers’ a girl in Trinidad
-
Dog shows its gratitude after being saved from canal
-
Google Maps introduces the Pokemon Challenge for April 1st
-
Virgin teams up with Nest for hilarious April Fools prank
-
Shocking home footage of a Chilean Earthquake
-
Google Chrome translates web pages into emojis (April…
-
An A380 is hit by lightning on approach to Heathrow in 2011
-
Viewers’ hilarious responses to Kimmel’s April Fools’ Day…
-
Meet Boomeroo, the adorable pet kangaroo
-
Lucky escape? Man sledgehammers a grain silo until it…
-
‘The debate over repealing this law is over’: Obama boasts…
-
Thousands of earthquake-hit Chileans return home as country…
-
From edible Domino’s pizza boxes to BMW’s new artificial…
-
Following our challenge to spot the snow leopard yesterday,…
-
‘Spoiled’ cheerleader who tried to sue her parents gets into…
-
Couple accused of committing sex act in their SEATS during…
-
Pregnant stepmother and father ‘kept starving 5-year-old son…
-
Widow trying to sell family home of 40 years finds she…
-
Suicide victim hanged from a Chinese billboard had mummified…
-
A terrifying fight against the deadliest virus on Earth:…
-
Playtime around the world: Children from 50 countries…
-
The Dead (Rude) Parrot Sketch: Potty-mouthed African Grey…
Comments (44)
what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have not been moderated.
K.Colwell,
Bognor regis, United Kingdom,
1 hour ago
My older brother has Autism, and sadly became overwhelmed by his veiw of the world and developed Schizophrenia. My mother has said isn’t it a coincidence that as technology has advanced, so has Autism. Wouldn’t it be ironic if the technology created pollutants that caused this disorder?
liv,
Camden,
1 hour ago
Yep, just one more way normal kids can get treated like second class citizens when compared to autistics. They already have to put up with being hit, bitten and ignored while the autistic kid distracts the entire class. Put them in special schools where they belong and stop making everyone else bend around them.
– Not proud to be British, UK, 02/04/2014 04:17 pm
Normal kids don’t get treated as 2nd class citizens when compared to autistics!!
And autistic people aren’t not “normal†!!
liv,
Camden,
2 hours ago
Autism is a mechanism by which bad parents can claim benefits. It is an outrage and we should put a stop to it immediately.
– PositivelyPerturbed, London, United Kingdom, 02/04/2014 03:55 pm
It’s not “a mechanism by which bad parents can claim benefitsâ€!!!
Not proud to be British,
UK,
2 hours ago
Yep, just one more way normal kids can get treated like second class citizens when compared to autistics. They already have to put up with being hit, bitten and ignored while the autistic kid distracts the entire class. Put them in special schools where they belong and stop making everyone else bend around them.
nikkicfr,
lincolnshire, United Kingdom,
2 hours ago
piknmix,
London, United Kingdom,
1 hour ago
KCoop 2b,
Staffs,
3 hours ago
My son is autistic and has poor fine and gross motor skills, low muscle tone and sensory issues almost other things. All proven -it effects everything about him , can’t write,read , walks with great difficulties has massive anxiety issues , social skills, talks through statements and repeating himself yet even in the street I live people treat him like he’s just naughty and a bit slow. How can people be so narrow minded and cruel is beyond me, iPads are brilliant for him as he can control them resulting in confidence – best thing we have ever brought! Ps his dad has a good career and I work part time, we are not un educated dole dossers
cinjon,
Kidderminster, United Kingdom,
3 hours ago
perdita,
leeeeeeeeeeds,
3 hours ago
busymumof5,
Lanarkshire,
3 hours ago
Our son has autism and was offered funding to get an iPad which we declined. Not because he wouldn’t have enjoyed it, he would have loved it, but because I see far too many parents of kids with autism chuck an iPad at them to keep them quiet under the guise of “helping them to relaxâ€. It’s not a babysitter, it’s a toy and is therefore not a necessity. Our kids all have access to a communal tablet (which is heavily limited on content) with time limits.
MyVictoria,
London, United Kingdom,
4 hours ago
‘Positivelypeturbed’ you are a vile human being, go and crawl back under your rock! happy autism awareness day everyone
Simon the Brit’,
London,
5 hours ago
Another advert for Apple
Egg sandwich,
London, Christmas Island,
5 hours ago
With this news will kids now get handed free iPads on the nhs
nikkicfr,
lincolnshire, United Kingdom,
4 hours ago
usednurse,
Scottish Borders United Kingdom,
5 hours ago
One in fifty with autism! Big claim or does that include every kid who exhibits any supposedly autistic trait? Over emphasising the prevalence doesn’t help the kids who really do have autism. It just makes people see it as a fake disease or poor parenting.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Find out now