This document discusses adaptive technology and its use for individuals with autism. It begins by defining autism spectrum disorders and noting their range of severity. Adaptive technology is then defined as any equipment that increases functional capabilities for individuals with disabilities. Several methods of computer-assisted instruction, information and communication technologies, and evidence-based practices are described that can be used in classrooms for students with autism. The document concludes by noting that technological advances have improved autism research and outcomes for individuals.

1. Adaptive Technology and Autism
Mitzi Helms
ITEC 8133
Literature Review Presentation

2. What is Autism?
The term "autism spectrum disorders (ASDs)"
refers to a wide range of developmental
disorders and includes five classifications.
According to the National Institute of Mental
Health, these disorders are usually first
diagnosed in early childhood and range from
a severe form, called autistic disorder, to a
much milder form, Asperger's syndrome. They
also include two rare disorders, Rett syndrome
and childhood disintegrative disorder
(Southwest Autism Research & Resource
Center, 2013).

3. Adaptive Technology…Defined
• The federal government has defined assistive
technology, also known as adaptive technology,
devices as ‘‘any item, piece of equipment or
product system, whether acquired commercially
or off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is
used to increase, maintain, or improve functional
capabilities of individuals with disabilities’’ (IDEIA,
2004).
• The Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act (2004) also requires that
assistive technology, or adaptive technology, be
‘considered’ when developing individual family
service plans (IFSPs) or individual education plans
(IEPs) for young children.

4. Methods of Computer-Assisted Instruction
• TeachTown™ is a CAI program that targets language,
cognitive, academic, social, and life skills. Research shows
students who actively used TeachTown™ demonstrated much
bigger increases in receptive and expressive language than
their non-treated peers (Whalen, Moss, Ilan, Vaupel, Fielding,
MacDonald & Symon, 2010).
• Computer-Assisted Interviewing offers specific qualities including
the child’s ability to take control, avoidance of social factors,
and the predictability of a computer; however, there appears
to be few studies evaluating the use of CAI with children.
• Researchers have conducted experimental episodes where
students were given a personal digital assistant (PDA) to use as
an activity schedule. Studies show that task completion was
higher for two of the three students compared to using a
picture-based task strip (Mechling & Savidge, 2011).
• PowerPoint has been used to teach reading decoding for
students with physical and speech disabilities and to encourage
social communication for students with ASD (Coleman, 2009).

5. Methods of Information & Communication Technologies
• Video-based intervention (VBI) is a term
used to describe procedures that
involve presenting video recording as
the independent variable for
intervention.
• Video self-modeling is effective
because:
– it focuses on the target children’s visual
strength;
– children with autism prefer to learn from
video self-modeling to live, real world peer
modeling (Huang & Wheeler, 2006).

6. Methods of Evidence-Based Practices
• Behavioral teaching strategies are fundamental
intervention techniques based on the principles of
applied behavior analysis (Odom, Collet-
Klingenberg, Rogers, & Hatton, 2010).
• Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is a set of strategies used
mainly to reduce or eliminate interfering behaviors.
• The E-Word Wall (EWW) is an interactive model of a
word wall.
• The SmartBoard is an interactive whiteboard developed
by SMART Technologies in 1991 (Xin & Sutman, 2011).
• Smartphones have the possibility of increasing social
opportunities of students with ASD through contact with
peers by using emails and text messaging as well as
social media, including Facebook and Twitter.

7. Conclusion
• Educators can employ computer-assisted instruction,
information and communication technologies, and
evidence-based practices to be used in the P-12
classroom.
• It is widely recognized that autism has its basis in
intellectual dysfunction, and some of the brain are as
known to be involved in autism symptoms are
established. Several technological advances
contributed to an increase in autism research and
changes in practice beginning in the mid-1960s and
rapidly increasing in the early 1990s.
• Thompson (2013) found that as a replacement for 1–2%
of individuals with autism having good outcomes as
was the case in the 1970s, over half are presently in
regular education classrooms and many are going on
to college.

8. SOMETHING TO CONSIDER
Ellen Notbohm (2005), author of Ten Things Every Child
with Autism Wishes You Knew, wrote:
“Patience. Patience. Patience. Work to view my
autism as a different ability rather than a disability.
Look past what you may see as limitations and see the
gifts autism has given me. It may be true that I’m not
good at eye contact or conversation, but have you
noticed that I don’t lie, cheat at games, tattle on my
classmates or pass judgment on other people? Also
true that I probably won’t be the next Michael Jordan.
But with my attention to fine detail and capacity for
extraordinary focus, I might be the next Einstein. Or
Mozart. Or Van Gogh.” (p. xxxi)

9. ReferencesColeman, M. (2009). "PowerPoint" is not just for business presentations and college
lectures: Using "PowerPoint" to enhance instruction for students with
disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children Plus, 6(1).
Huang, A., & Wheeler, J. (2006). Effective interventions for individuals with high-
functional autism. International Journal of Special Education, 21(3), 165-175.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, 118 Stat. 2647 (2004).
Mechling, L., & Savidge, E. (2011). Using a personal digital assistant to increase
completion of novel tasks and independent transitioning by students with
autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders,
41(6), 687-704.
Odom, S., Collet-Klingenberg, L., Rogers, S., & Hatton, D. (2010). Evidence-based
practices in interventions for children and youth with autism spectrum
disorders. Preventing School Failure, 54(4), 275-282.
Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center. (2013). Autism faq. Retrieved from
http://autismcenter.org/autism_faq.aspx
Thompson, T. (2013). Autism research and services for young children: History,
progress and challenges. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual
Disabilities, 26(2), 81-107. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jar.12021
Whalen, C., Moss, D., Ilan, A., Vaupel, M., Fielding, P., MacDonald, K., & Symon, J.
(2010). Efficacy of teachtown: Basics computer-assisted intervention for the
intensive comprehensive autism program in Los Angeles Unified School
District. Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, 14(3), 179-
197.
Xin, J., & Sutman, F. (2011). Using the Smartboard in teaching social stories to
students with autism. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(4), 18-24.