1. Attendees will gain knowledge regarding commercially available Apps on iPad for individuals with ASD and other developmental disability to facilitate independence through communication, Life Style, productivity, and social skills
2. Attendees will be provided with resources to review Apps prior to purchase to determine appropriateness for individual users
3. Attendees will be able to develop a plan for implementing the use of i-Pad and evaluate the effectiveness of Apps for specific users
4. Attendees will be able to identify ways to match features of Apps to the needs of the user with ASD to support independence.
Objective: Attendees will gain knowledge regarding commercially available Apps on i-devices and how to use them to empower individuals with ASD to independently facilitate communication, education, daily living and social skills.
Description: Mobile technology i-devices like the iPad provide individuals with ASD a unique opportunity for transitional support and independence. Unfortunately many of those Apps being purchased are never used or are ineffective for transition or are being underutilized. Methods for reviewing Apps by matching features will be demonstrated as participants are encouraged to develop a plan for individual users. Apps will be demonstrated targeting independence and self-determination in productivity, social networking, communication, educational instruction, daily living, and social skills. Students, parents, professionals, and schools are purchasing i-devices in ever increasing numbers. With hundreds of thousands of Apps to choose from many of those being purchased are never used and if they are they are often underutilized. Purchasing these devices and Apps without a plan for use leads to frustration for both the family and the ASD user as the goals and outcomes are frequently not aligned. During this presentation participants will be challenged to develop a plan for individual users as Apps are reviewed in the areas of communication, educational instruction, daily living, social skills and transition/lifestyle. Methods for reviewing Apps and creative implementation will be demonstrated. The importance of realizing that one App does not fit all users will be highlighted. The concept of matching the needs of the user to features of individual apps will be presented and demonstrated. Emphasis will be given to avoiding App hype and using independent review and deliberation as Apps are chosen to meet a specific need or for specific purpose. Participants will be given guidance in developing plans for ASD users, App purchasing and App implementation. Resources will be provided for reviewing how Apps are currently being used, if they are being used independently and in what settings. Participants will be given ideas for developing plans for implementing instructional units and professional/ personal networking for individual users and agencies. Demonstration of Apps being utilized by current ASD consumers will be included and the feature match process explained for each as part of the process.
Research
The use of i-devices for individuals with disability is still in its early stages. The published information that is available is primarily anecdotal or subjective developed using survey formats. Currently research and data are being compiled by teams at Michigan State University and The REMLE Project/AT4ASD Study to determine the level of independence of users with Autism Spectrum disorders. The studies are attempting to determine if Apps are being independently accessed and used for the purpose designed by individuals with disability. This presentation is based on the premise for these two studies.
Melanie Johnston, MA, SLP
Managing Director/Consultant
BRITE Success, LLC
Melanie Johnston is a specialist in autism and developmental disabilities, consulting with schools, individuals and corporations. She is a speech pathologist with an MA in Special Education, postgraduate education in Ed. Psychology and more than 30 years experience in as a therapist, educator, lecturer and consultant.
