iAutism

Is it really so adequate to use devices like the iPad/iPhone/iPod touch for people with autism? Which is the best way to use them? What results can be obtained?

There are already some academic papers on this topics, so I’ve compiled a list of them. Usually, you have to pay for this type of content, which employs a highly technical and academic language. Thus, there are not typical reading except for those who want to study these issues in a professional manner.

• [CFA09] D. Cihak, C. Fahrenkrog, K. M. Ayres, C. Smith, The Use of Video Modeling via a Video iPod and a System of Least Prompts to Improve Transitional Behaviors for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the General Education Classroom, Journal of Positive Behaviour Interventions, April 2010, vol. 12, no. 2, 103-115.

It describes the use of videos on an iPod for helping to improve behaviours, http://pbi.sagepub.com/content/early/2009/02/19/1098300709332346

• [FRN09] Á. Fernández, M.J. Rodríguez, M. Noguera, Designing and Supporting Cooperative and Ubiquitous Learning Systems for People with Special Needs, OTM 2009 Workshops, LNCS 5872, PP. 423-432, 2009.

Describes the design, development and application functionality of Picaa. http://www.springerlink.com/content/a281726u3q422m80

• [HWA10] D.L. Hammond, A.D. Whatley, K.M. Ayres, D.L. Gast, Effectiveness of video modeling to teach iPod use to students with moderate intellectual disabilities, Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Vol 45(4), Dec, 2010. pp. 525-538.

Explains the use of video modeling to teach how to use the iPod. It can be downloaded at this link.

• [Kag10] D. M. Kagohara, Three Students with Developmental Disabilities Learn to Operate an iPod to Access Age-Appropriate Entertainment Videos, Journal of Behavioral Education, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 33–43, 2011.

Describes the use of the iPod as a means of entertainment for viewing videos, http://www.springerlink.com/content/v366845577213224

• [KMA10] D. M. Kagohara, L. van der Meer, D. Achmadi, V. A. Green, M. F. O’Reilly, A. Mulloy, G. E. Lancioni, R. Lang, and J. Sigafoos, Behavioral Intervention Promotes Successful Use of an iPod-Based Communication Device by an Adolescent With Autism, Clinical Case Studies, October 1, 2010; 9(5): 328 – 338.

It describes the use of an iPod on a 17-years old adolescent, http://ccs.sagepub.com/content/9/5/328.abstract

• [SeB09] S. Sennott and A. Bowker, Autism, AAC, and Proloquo2Go, Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, December 1, 2009; 18(4): 137 – 145.

It is free to download at http://div12perspectives.asha.org, and it is a review of Proloquo2Go, a very well known application.

• [VJV09] T. Van Laarhoven, J.W. Johnson, T. Van Laarhoven, K.L. Grider, K.M. Grider, The Effectiveness of Using a Video iPod as a Prompting Device in Employment Settings, Journal of Behavioral Education, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 119–141, 2009.

Explains the use of videos on an iPod to show a worker with special needs its tasks and how to perform them, http://www.springerlink.com/content/61n8472k8253033q

-Francesc Sistach

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