On the Cutting Edge: Using ipads to Teach Children with ASDs

Transcription

1 On the Cutting Edge: Using ipads to Teach Children with ASDs H A Y L E Y V I N I N S K Y, M. S., B C B A G O L D L E A R N I N G C E N T R E, M O N T R E A L

2 Objectives What s so good about apps? How do I find apps? What are some good apps? How do I use these apps?

3 Current Research C O M M U N I C A T I O N A C A D E M I C S L I F E S K I L L S A N D S O C I A L S K I L L S

4 The 411 on communication apps research The tech of talking Low tech vs. high tech PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) Several studies have shown that children acquired speech as their main communication system Increases in spoken language, spontaneous speech No decreases in spoken language (Bondy & Frost, 1994) (e.g. Carr & Felce, 2007; Frost & Bondy, 2002; Ganz & Simpson, 2004)

5 High tech talking Alternative augmentative communication (AAC) devices Speech generating devices (SGD) Associated with increases in spoken language Facilitation of interpersonal communication and socialization Limitations Price (Dynavox systems cost over $1600) Stigmatizing (look different ) Difficult to transport (clunky and heavy) Lack of support and training for teachers (Cafiero, 2008; Mirenda, 2003; Newton & Dell, 2011)

6 A new high tech The ipad as a communication device Direct control of the interface ease of use Familiar to teachers and parents Portable Inconspicuous compared to other AAC devices Ease of communication, as communicative partners are more comfortable with the technology (Bradshaw, 2013; Brandon, 2011; Price, 2011; Sennott & Bowker, 2009)

7 My research The effects of teaching Proloquo2Go on vocal requesting in a boy with autism Proloquo2Go Integration of speech output and visual symbols Participant (3-year-old boy with ASD) taught to request items Adapted PECS protocol Phases 1-4 (Vininsky, 2013)

8 Frequency of requests of any length Results Substantial increase in the frequency of all vocal requests Increases in the frequency of full sentence, vocal requesting BSL Phase Phase Phase III Phase IV (Vininsky, 2013) Sessions

9 Teach me something cool! Very little concrete research in this area Primarily anecdotal Literacy skills Video modeling to use spell check Reading comprehension in paper vs. e-books Over 20% improvement in accuracy of responding Increases in student motivation Decreases in off-task behaviour (Kagohara, Sigafoos, Achmadi, O Reilly, & Lancioni, 2011; Price, 2011)

10 Thesis in preparation Fill the gap in the literature regarding academics Using ipads to teach receptive and expressive language skills to children with autism Which results in faster acquisition of targets? Which results in better generalization and maintenance of skills? Which is preferred by children?

11 Skillz 4 Life Video modeling Presented on an ios device Social skills, communication, functional behaviour, self-help skills, job tasks, leisure skills, positive behaviour Use ipod to listen to music Simple job tasks (Cafiero, 2008; Kagohara, Sigafoos, Achmadi, van der Meer, O Reilly, & Lancioni, 2012; Van Laarhoven, Johnson, van Laarhoven-Myers, Grider, & Grider, 2009)

12 Finding Apps W E B R E S O U R C E S P I C K I N G A G O O D O N E

13 Show me the apps! Like everything else, start with Google! Apps for autism Autism apps Educational apps ABA apps

14 Do a little window shopping in the App Store FEATURED Kids TOP CHARTS Education SEARCH Autism, ABA, Kindergarten, Preschool

15 Autism Speaks apps bank Very comprehensive list

16 Autism Speaks apps bank Search features Recreation, social skills, accessibility, behavioral intervention, communication, creative arts, educational, functional skills, language, math skills, organizer Preschool, children, adolescents, adults

17 inov8 Educational Consulting Blog posts written by highly trained professionals

18 inov8 Educational Consulting There s a Special App for That series organizational skills social skills fine motor skills students with non-verbal learning disability mind mapping alternative augmentative communication literacy autonomy and independence college/university students behaviour management and intervention storytelling

19 Balefire Labs Apps reviewed by professionals in educational technology According to specified criteria Free 2-day trial Register for full list and ability to full all criteria $2.99 per month with annual subscription Blog posts about different app reviews

20 Free or reduced apps for Autism Awareness Month -awareness-month-1st-april-1.html

21 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Apps) When screening apps, these are good features: Feedback for correct answers and errors Ability to adapt difficulty Prompting and prompt fading Usability design Easily adaptable (Mahon, 2013)

22 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Apps) Be wary if you see this: No feedback or indiscriminate feedback for correct and incorrect answers No level increases as student masters tasks Lack of prompts following incorrect responses Distracting animations or sound Ability to engage in unrelated tasks (Mahon, 2013)

23 Using the Apps F I N E M O T O R C O M M U N I C A T I O N B A S I C V O C A B U L A R Y M A T H L I T E R A C Y C O N C E P T S S O C I A L S T O R I E S L E I S U R E M I S C E L L A N E O U S

24 First things first How do I work this thing? Getting your kids used to the interface Enhancing fine motor skills Fireworks Bubbles Swiping Index finger tap

25 C o m m u n i c a t i o n A p p s

26 Talk the Talk: Proloquo2Go Symbol-supported communication app Easy to customize to the learner Basic Communication and Core Word vocabulary Size, picture, word Ability to customize access For those with differences in motor abilities Easy to use Switch between folders quickly and smoothly

27 Talk the Talk: Other communication apps TalkRocket Go Create quick phrases Available in French TapSpeak Choice AAC Significant accessibility options Record your own voice Core vocabulary and predictable button placement SpeakAll Drag and drop pictures to create phrases Record your own voice

28 V B a s i c o c a b u l a r y

29 Early vocabulary Kindergarten.com Flash cards Actions Alphabet Animals Food Sight Words Receptive identification By Noun By Class

30 BitsBoard Different mini-games Flashcards, spelling, true or false, receptive identification, and more Ability to easily create content Customizable Record your own voice Thousands of shared boards to download Look on Popular Boards or search keywords

31 M a t h S k i l l s

32 123 Ninja

33 Endless Numbers

34 Candy Count

35 L i t e r a c y S k i l l s

36 Endless Alphabet

37 Elmo Loves ABCs

38 Letter School

39 ABC Ninja

40 C o n c s e p t

41 Associations Which go together? Kindergarten.com Things that go together Grasshopper Apps

42 Tiny Hands Sorting

43 Sequences for Autism

44 S o c i a l S t o r i e s

45 Pictello

46 L e i s u r e S k i l l s

47 Leisure Skills What they re into (tv shows, clocks, maps, anything) What other kids are into (forge friendships and conversation) angry birds, fruit ninja

48 Drawing and Colouring

49 Puzzles

50 Interactive Games

51 M i s c e l l a n e o u s

52 Time Timer

53 Tips and Tricks G U I D E D A C C E S S A F E W I D E A S

54 Guided Access When enabled, allows you to lock inside an app Remove access to certain buttons within an app Ideal when: Using the ipad as a communication device Working on certain apps with a child

55 Tips and Tricks Keep it short and sweet Keep it fun Play together

56 Use what they like Over games on the App Store Likely you ll find something that fits their passion Whether clocks, maps, trains, etc. Figure out how to use it for learning Expanding vocabulary Encouraging play skills Enhancing conversation

57 Expand their minds Try new apps Check out What s hot Keep up with the Joneses Encourage communication with other children Foster mutual interests Build friendships

58 Generalize, generalize, generalize! Take what was learned on the ipad and do it in the real world Use the vocabulary Ask the questions Transfer to real-life skills

59 For further information me at:

60 References Bondy, A. & Frost, L. (1994). Picture exchange communication system. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 9, Bradshaw, J. (2013). The use of augmentative and alternative communication apps for the ipad, ipod, and iphone: An overview of recent developments. Tizard Learning Disability Review, 18, Brandon, J. (2011, March 9). Is the ipad a miracle device for autism? FoxNews.com. Retrieved from Cafiero, J.M. (2008). Technology supports for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Technology in Action, 3, 1-12.

61 References Carr, D. & Felce, J. (2007). Brief report: Increase in production of spoken words in some children with autism after PECS teaching to phase III. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, Frost, L. & Bondy, A. (2002). The Picture Exchange Communication System Training Manual: Second Edition. Delaware: Pyramid Education Consultants, Inc. Ganz, J.B. & Simpson, R.L. (2004). Effects on communicative requesting and speech development of the Picture Exchange Communication System in children with characteristics of autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34, Kagohara, D.M., Sigafoos, J., Achmadi, D., O Reilly, M., & Lancioni, G. (2012). Teaching children with autism spectrum disorders to check the spelling of words. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 6, doi: /j.rasd

62 References Kagohara, D.M., Sigafoos, J., Achmadi, D., van der Meer, L., O Reilly, M.F., & Lancioni, G.E. (2011). Teaching students with development disabilities to operate an ipod Touch to listen to music. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32, doi: /j.ridd Mahon, K. (2013, November). Digital Technology for Kids with Special Needs. Presented at the Educational Conference of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, Chicago, IL. Mirenda, P. (2003). Toward functional augmentative and alternative communication for students with autism: Manual signs, graphic symbols, and voice output communication aids. Language, Speech & Hearing Services in School, 34, Newton, D.A., & Dell, A.G. (2011). Mobile devices and students with disabilities: What do best practices tell us? Journal of Special Education Technology, 26,

63 References Price, A. (2011). Making a difference with smart tablets: Are ipads really beneficial for students with autism? Teacher Librarian, 39, Sennott, S. & Bowker, A. (2009). Autism, AAC, and Proloquo2Go. Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 18, Van Laarhoven, T., Johnson, J.W., van Laarhoven-Myers, T., Grider, K.L., & Grider, K.M. (2009). The effectiveness of using a video ipod as a prompting device in employment settings. Journal of Behavioral Educational, 18, doi: /s Vininsky, H. (2013, November). The effects of teaching Proloquo2Go on vocal requesting in a boy with autism. Presented at the Educational Conference of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, Chicago, IL.