The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

In recent years with advancements in Technology and the education of children with Autism, a successful collaboration has emerged that shows great promise for the future. This presentation focuses on that collaboration by presenting proven methods and materials that support Communication, Language, and Literacy, through high and low tech means. Assistive Technology, by definition can be both a service and a 3D object, which can be further delineated as “low tech” (a visual support) or as “high tech” (the Kurzweil software program). Fortunately for this generation of students with Autism, success in the classroom can now be supported by a multitude of Assistive Technology resources. This presentation will present the newest technologies for Communication, Language, and Literacy, in addition to providing the alternative means (Web sites, low tech alternatives, etc.) through which one can simulate those high priced items that are available and yet out of reach for many educators and parents alike.

This presentation is designed to educate both involved parties; the teaching team and the parents on the multi uses of Assistive Technology for success. Using a multimedia approach, several examples of classroom implementation of Assistive Technology will be provided, beginning with communication supports. Presenters will demonstrate the use of visuals and various augmentative communication systems, attendees will be shown how to create them from scratch, locate premades online, and individualize both of them for their students' educational needs. Attendees will be provided multimodal classroom strategies such as manipulating the ways materials are presented as in the “color coding” the parts of speech. Presenters will provide examples of students who increased their verbal expressions, writing compositions, and emergent literacy skills with the implementation of color coding strategies. Some believe this method is successful because children with developmental delays have missed out on the patterning skills that are taught in Kindergarten. The original concept of color coding originated many years ago with the Hearing Impaired and Deaf students, whose main method of learning was through the visual modality similar to learning style of 90% of our children with Autism.

Attendees will be provided resources to support a total communication approach to learning. The primary focus of the presentation is language development as the foundation of all instruction. Other supports such as demonstrating the use of sign language to augment student learning will be reviewed, employing standard sign language (American Sign Language) along with the new ground-breaking Simplified Sign System. The newest research involving Baby Signs, as a method for developing language and communication skills will be presented along with techniques for implementing them into current classroom curriculum and language efforts. Following the national push for enhanced Literacy skills, several methods utilizing Assistive Technology will be demonstrated. One method attendees will be introduced to is the concept of multimodal reading with the reproduction of books on the computer through an innovative software program (Intellitools' activities via Intellipics Studio) and a standard slide show program found on most home computers today (“eBooks” via PowerPoint). This in conjunction with use of the standard hardback book provides students with a variety of means through which they can move from emergent to conventional readers.

Content Area: Technology