Using i-Pads to Promote Literacy for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders By: Dana Gunter

Some characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder  Deficits in communication (inappropriate conversation topics, misinterpreting cues, failure to understand context, difficulty understanding non-literal language, poor reciprocity)  Difficulty maintaining relationships  Restricted or fixated interests  Overly dependent on routine and resistant to change  Sensory issues Source: APA Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) (2013)

Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders  According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control, about 1 in 68 children has been identified as having an autism spectrum disorder  It is 5 times more likely in boys than girls.  This rate has skyrocketed in the last 10 years!  We still have a lot to learn about Autism! Centers for Disease Control: Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network (2013).

Why i-pads for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders?  Easy and intuitive to use  Literally thousands of apps available for free or low cost  They are common – students will not stand out from their peers  They promote visual and interactive learning  Lightweight  Accessories available to assist with ergonomics  Promote Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and i-Pads  UDL is a philosophy that suggests that learning strategies, devices, and services should be accessible to the widest range of people (Carpenter, et al. 2013).  The i-pad is easily customizable to suit each user.  Teachers can individualize instruction with specific apps, levels, and accessibility features for students.  i-pad UDL placemat i-pad UDL placemat

i-Pad Built in Accessibility Features to Support Literacy How to get to them: Settings>General>Accessibility  Voice Over: Speaks items on the screen. Helpful for students who struggle with basic reading  Speech: A text to speech feature. Allows Students to highlight text so it can be read to them.  Word Prediction: Words pop up as students are typing. Can help students with spelling and finding the right word.  Highlight Content: Highlights text as it is spoken. Can help students with tracking and focus as they are reading.  Other Features: Large text, bold text, increase contrast, switch control, assistive touch – helpful for students with vision, sensory and physical impairments.

Video Overview of Accessibility Features

List of Apps to Support Literacy and Communication  Explain Everything  Pic Collage  Mindomo  News-2-You  Proloquo2go  Clicker Connect  Write About

Explain Everything  Interactive Whiteboard/Screencasting  Allows student to annotate, include text, graphics, pictures, videos and animations.  Can use to create digital stories and movies  Can do a Close and Critical Reading by doing a screenshot of a text and using the annotation features.  Great visual format for students with ASD  Teachers can create multi-media presentations to reach diverse learners (Richards & Malone, 2013)

Pic Collage  An excellent app for making collages for reading and writing assignments  Helps support vocabulary instruction and acquisition  Pair visuals with text to help students with ASD create meaning and understand abstract concepts.  VERY easy to use! (Hard, 2013) Ilearnipad.weebly.com Here is an example of a Pic Collage a student with ASD in my self- contained math class made for his vocabulary words.

News-2-You  Current Events  Requires yearly subscription ($$)  Promotes literacy for students with mild to severe disabilities  Has four reading levels for each issue  Pairs text with symbols and pictures  Has a built in text reader/highlighter  Includes interactive comprehension activities that also give students immediate feedback on their answers.  Promotes independence

Proloquo2Go  Symbol based alternative and assistive communication app  Primarily for students with limited or no speech  Speak by tapping buttons on i-pad  Can create student and situation specific vocabulary  Easily customizable for students at different levels  Can use it with social media  Can be used with News-2-You and many other apps  Promotes independence  Some research indicates it helps improve natural speech Proloquo2Go (2014), (Shane et al. 2011)

Clicker Connect  Written expression app  Helps promote independent writing skills  Teachers can create their own Clicker sets (word and image banks) or use ones from an online library.  Students can create, share, and collaborate on writing topics  Includes text to speech and image library.  One study showed that Clicker Connect helped students improve sentence structure, paragraphs, and stay on topic without the assistance of the teacher (Racicort, 2009).  Clicker Connect Demo Clicker Connect Demo

Write Online  Written Expression App  Most appropriate for higher functioning students in general education classes and college  Includes word prediction and text to speech  Teachers and/or students can create content area vocabulary banks or choose from a library of Common Core aligned vocabulary word bars.  Can sort word bars by topic or sequentially  Includes mind mapping tool (workspace) to help with organizing ideas (Peterson-Karlan, 2007)

Conclusion  Students with autism spectrum disorders benefit from a variety of resources to help them achieve success.  Assistive technology should be considered when planning for a student with ASD  Devices like the i-pad are mainstream and socially acceptable with peers  Devices like the i-pad help students with ASD access the general education curriculum  The i-pad promotes Universal Design for Learning  The i-pad is easy to transport and use in a variety of settings

Works Cited  AssistiveWare. (2013). Proloquo2Go. Retrieved on November 20, 2014 from:  Carpenter, L.B., Johnson, L.B., & Beard, L.A., (2014). Assistive Technology Access for All Students Boston, MA: Pearson.  Centers for Disease Control (2014). CDC Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network  Cricksoft. (2014). WriteOnline and Clicker Connect Apps. Retrieved on November 20, 2014 from:  Hard, K. (2013). Using the Pic Collage App as a Graphic Organizer for Vocabulary Instruction. Integrating i-Pads in Education. Retrieved online Nov. 20, 2014 from:  McGrath, R. (2013). Autism? There’s an app for that. Young Adult Library Services; 11(2)  News-2-You. (2014). News-2-You. Reterieved on November 20, 2014 from:

Works Cited  Peterson-Karlan, A., & Parette, P., (2007). Supporting Struggling Writers Using Technology: Evidence- Based Instruction and Decision Making (Special Education Assistive Technology, Illinois State University)  Racicot, R. (2009) The Effect of Multimedia Writing Support Software on Written Productivity. Retrieved on November 20, 2014 from: research-study-US.pdfhttp:// research-study-US.pdf  Richards, R., & Malone, D. (2013). Explain Everything User’s Manual. Constructivist Toolkit, LLC: ibook  Shane, H., Scholosser, R., & Sorce, J.F. (2011). Applying Technology to Visually Support Language and Communication in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 42: