National Centre for Technology in Education

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Autism / Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Benefits of Using ICT
Considerations Before Using ICT
Using Software
Using Hardware
Classroom Management Issues
ICT Case Studies


Benefits of Using ICT

As students with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) usually have problems with social interaction, communication, organisational and motor skills, ICT can provide assistance in these areas by:

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Considerations Before Using ICT


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Using Software

ICT is best employed when the student with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) works with another (often teacher or aid) in constructing meaning, and where verbal and visual cues can be used jointly, and discussion is encouraged. Integration of ICT into the curriculum needs careful planning and consideration so as to ensure it meets the educational and curricular goals of each individual student. Students require well designed instruction tailored to their needs if they are to realise their true learning potential.

As sensory over-stimulation and over-indulgence can occur when students with ASD are using software, it is important to remember the following when selecting software:

Literacy and Communication

Symbol and picture resources
One of the best uses of ICT for students with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is to create resources using symbols, pictures, sound and photos that can be used to support literacy and communication. Software that utilises pictures, symbols and photos can be used to produce visual aids and signs for the classroom and work stations. These visual aids can also be used in conjunction with either the TEACCH or PECS programs, which are designed specifically to promote communication with people with ASD. A digital camera can be used to record outings or events and the photos can then be used to make personalised books using a multimedia authoring tool such as SwitchIt Maker or Clicker 4. A flexible pictorial writing tool such as Writing with Symbols or Boardmaker can be used to create grids. These pictorial grids can be used to create a range of teaching and communication materials such as individual schedules, a communication book or nursery rhymes with words and pictures.

Word Processors
As an alternative to handwriting for students with ASD, have them type their responses on the computer. Due to poor fine motor skills, many of these students have difficulty writing legibly, and the word processor offers them the opportunity to communicate more clearly with others. This may take the form of question and answer, where an adult sits with the student and types the question, then allows the student to answer. Often, this can relieve the stress the student may feel in communicating with another, as the computer acts as an intermediary. There are many programs that offer voice options, word prediction, word and picture banks, in addition to basic word processing, so it is dependent on the need of the individual as to which will be the most useful. The usual spell-check and grammar options, along with dictionaries and thesaurus’, can be useful tools that individual children may be able to use. A more legible, printed copy of a student’s work can also provide a level of motivation that writing by hand does not. Mistakes can be easily corrected, without having to redo the complete piece.

Interactive Books
Interactive books are electronic books that bring stories to life. Most follow a similar format where the user can either passively watch and listen as a story is read to them or they can choose the interactive mode where they can click and explore. Animation and sound effects provide stimulation and maintain interest. This category of software is especially good for pre- and beginning readers because it highlights the word as it is being read aloud which links the written word with the spoken word and consequently strengthens word recognition. Many of these programs provide additional work in the form of games, grammar, punctuation and phonetic exercises to reinforce class work. Examples include Living Books, Ukandu Interactive Series, and Oxford Reading Tree.

Reinforcement Software
There are many software programs available to help develop literacy skills and reinforce concepts through repetition and practice. Programs are available that target the following areas:

  • Early literacy skills (examples include Teddy Games, Spider in the Kitchen, Leaps and Bounds)
  • Sight word recognition (examples include All My Words, Speaking for Myself, Flashcard)
  • Phonological skills (examples include Lexia, Rhyme and Analogy, Sounds Great, Wordwork)
  • Spelling (examples include Starspell 2001,Wordshark, Spellmate)
  • Reading Comprehension (examples include Fuzzbuzz, Twisted Tales, Selladore Tales)

Numeracy
Numeracy software can provide students with an opportunity to practice and master a range of mathematical concepts from basic numeracy skills such as counting and sorting to more advanced mathematical skills. Many software programs use visual representations or on-screen manipulatives such as pictures, number lines, and grids which can be beneficial for students with ASD who often exhibit strengths in visual processing skills. A variety of such software such as Intellimathics, Heinemann’s Tool Box, and Learn About Maths is readily available.

Cause and Effect
Students with ASD are often easily distracted, and can find it difficult to deal with abstractions. There are many software packages available such as SwitchIt Patterns, Spot on Games, and Happy Duck that will help students to interact with the computer, develop their attention span, and develop the concept of cause and effect. Some programs are specifically designed to provide visual and/or auditory stimulation while others are designed to invite a reaction (an action or sound forces the student to notice and focus attention) . These are available for the full range of learning disabilities that may occur within ASD, and can be used with switches or touch screens rather than through the use of the mouse or keyboard, which such students may find difficult.

Life Skills
Life skills are central to the overall development of students with special needs. Students with ASD often have difficulty responding appropriately in social situations. Exploratory software can be used to broaden the experiences of students with ASD by putting them in real life settings that are non-threatening. Programs such as Mind Reading, Smart Alex can be used to work with students on recognising facial expressions and emotions. Other programs such as Out and About and Money Talks can be used to reinforce skills that are needed for every day, real-life situations.

Puzzles
Students with ASD are often quite visually aware, and display a good aptitude for regular jig saw puzzles which can assist in spatial awareness. Computer programs duplicating jigsaw puzzles can assist students in learning to manipulate the mouse, seeing the relationship between mouse and monitor, and boost their self-esteem. Software programs which offer a range from simple to complex puzzles are available such as Puzzle Power or Jigsaw Maker. There are also programs such as SwitchIt! Jigsaw Maker which allow you to convert photographs or other computer images into on-screen jigsaw puzzles. The finished picture can be printed out and used as a stimulus for story writing or discussion.

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Using Hardware assistive technology which can be of great assistance to students with ASD. Two types of assistive technology that are the most commonly used for students with ASD are listed below. However, please visit the assistive technology section for other types of assistive technology.

Digital Camera
Students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), along with other students experiencing communication difficulties, benefit enormously from the use of picture cues. A digital camera can have enormous use when used as part of a communication programme. It provides quick viewing and printing of the image, and allows that image or images to be used in a number of ways - as part of a timetable, a story board for an activity, labelling of items, or record of achievement.


Digital cameras are becoming more affordable all the time, and can be used throughout the school day by more than one group. The images can be downloaded onto a computer, manipulated and printed, in a matter of minutes. Students can see the results of the photo on the same day that it was taken, thus helping retain the momentum of the activity they were involved in.

Scanner
A scanner will allow you to transfer pictures or photographs from paper to your computer. Student drawings, photos of family members or holidays can be scanned into the computer to make personalised resources. The flatbed scanner is probably the most useful type for school use. It looks rather like the top of a photocopier. There is a glass plate onto which the page, photo, etc. is placed. When you purchase your scanner, you will usually get two pieces of software to use with it. A graphics package will work with the scanner to scan photos, drawings and illustrations and OCR (optical character recognition) software will scan pages of text.

Assistive Technology
In addition to the hardware listed above, there are also special needs peripherals or

Augmentative Communication Devices
AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication) has greatly evolved mainly through the development of electronic communication devices often known as "VOCAs" Voice Output Communication Aids. These are electronic devices that can be used to store, create and voice messages. They help to overcome communication difficulties by supplementing speech and are invaluable to the non-verbal student.


Some devices such as the Big Mac and MessageMate store a limited number of digitised messages while more advanced machines such as the Orac, Dynavox, and the Liberator store a larger amount of messages and use ready made communication packages. They are also capable of being programmed to suit the individual's communication requirements.

Touch Screens
Touch screens can help those students with ASD, especially those with learning disabilities, to interact with computer software successfully. Often these students can fail to see the relationship between the mouse and the monitor, being unable to watch the monitor while manipulating the mouse. They also tend to click the mouse at inappropriate times, therefore being unable to work through the simplest of programmes that they otherwise have the ability to complete. A touch screen allows them to interact with the monitor directly, and to manipulate the programme with their fingers, while continuing to watch for the results.


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Classroom Management Issues

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ICT Case Studies

Peter is an autistic boy in an Autistic Spectrum Class in a special school. He is 17 years old, and diagnosed within the moderate range of learning disability. Peter can read at the level of a 10 year old, and can write, although reluctantly. He is able to complete activity sheets based on his current spelling words quickly and usually correctly. He also completes a short diary entry each morning. Due to his poor fine motor control, and his insistence on using upper case letters only, most of Peter's written work is illegible, and often necessitates his reading of it to the teacher.

Peter was introduced to the computer in the classroom. He quickly picked up the concept of the keyboard representing letters, and the monitor registering the written word. He willingly recorded his diary entries daily on the computer, in a much more legible format. He was able to use the backspace to correct spelling errors as he noted them, and learned to recognise the symbol for printing out his work. An ordinary word processor was used, with the teacher adjusting the font and size prior to Peter writing. Other tasks, such as the teacher typing a question, and Peter answering it, were introduced. Once, after an emotional outburst, the computer was used to ask how he felt, and why the outburst had occurred, rather than confronting him orally. Much more detailed responses were recorded, and a better resolution occurred as a result. Peter is unable to use the mouse effectively, but that is not necessary for him to use the word processor. He does not punctuate his own work, however the word processor corrects some punctuation errors for him, and his work is certainly more readable, and often of a better quality than when he wrote in his copy.

Maria is a six-year-old student with a dual diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder and a moderate learning disability. She has been attending a special class in a national school for children with autism for six months. Maria has very poor eye contact, high sensitivity to loud noises and needs frequent redirecting when it is time for her to check her schedule (as per the TEACCH programme). She enjoys watching videos and listening to nursery rhymes. She has problems processing verbal instructions and verbally communicating her needs.

Maria has been introduced to her workstation (a designated area for table top work) and is only able to complete part of one work task before she runs out to the play area and takes a doll to hold or play with. She has difficulty understanding sequencing and needs plenty of hand-over-hand direction from the teacher and the special needs assistants. Maria responds well to both colour and black and white icons.

Maria enjoys her time at the computer. She loves interactive stories where she can hear sounds and interact with the screen. Her teacher uses hand-over-hand when using the mouse, as Maria is unable to click it appropriately.

ICT Used

  1. The staff of the unit invested in a Rebus and Mayer-Johnson symbol creation software package to enhance language and communication between Maria, the staff and her environment. The flexible pictorial writing tool contains writing grids for the teacher to make a range of teaching and communication materials including Maria’s schedule, a communication book and nursery rhymes with words and pictures.
  2. Pictures of Maria were taken at different locations in and outside the classroom (at her workstation, working with play dough, etc.) with a digital camera and were shown to her once she had checked her schedule or required reinforcement whilst doing a task.
  3. One of Maria’s Individual Education Plan learning targets set within the fine motor and sensory domain is to be able to thread two sets of two different coloured beads onto a sting. The teacher has used the drawing toolbar on a word processing program to create a pictorial representation of the beads and how they should be sequenced onto the string. This template is laminated and acts as a visual reminder of how the task is completed.
  4. Maria’s parents requested the staff to produce a schedule that could be used at home by themselves and with her home support worker. A search on the Internet, using a reliable search engine has resulted in the discovery of a useful website www.dotolearn.org where various home schedules are suggested. A range of home and community based images were created and a small number of digital photographs were taken to help contextualise activity within the environment.

Sean is a nine-year-old boy with ASD. He is in a special class of six children attached to a unit based in a mainstream primary school. The unit is made up of six special classes (aged between 4 and 12 years old) where the students are either diagnosed with an ASD or have language disorders. The unit consists of 35 students and the mainstream school has 210 students. All of the children are functioning within the average range of ability or above. Each class has a teacher and one SNA. The students have the opportunity to integrate twice a day with their mainstream peers.

Sean needs a routine and a predictable schedule; help with social interaction and the subtleties of language, regular access to a computer to improve his writing skills and to improve his self-esteem and confidence. He is aware of his shortcomings and sets himself a high standard. As a result, he can easily become frustrated and angry at written tasks.

Sean's strengths include his ability to remain on task when the boundaries are clear and concise. He enjoys using the computer especially for his writing tasks as well as for adding pictures to his written work.
There are two computers in the classroom, both of which are positioned in line with TEACCH guidelines - to reduce distraction as much as possible from pupils both on and off the computer. It is very important to build a fairly rigid timetable for the use of the computer so that each pupil knows when and for how long each session on the computer will last. A timer is used for this purpose. When new software is being introduced, the teacher demonstrates and teaches each student on a one to one basis until the child becomes familiar with it. A personal folder was created on the desktop for Sean to easily access his work.

ICT Used

  1. Word prediction software was used to speed up the writing process as the software speaks the word and provides a list of possible choice words. This was set for Sean at an intermediary stage of writing. Font size and other formatting options was chosen and remained set to ensure easy access from his own personal folder on the desktop.
  2. Word processors, Microsoft Word and Creative Writer, were used alongside the predictive word processor to allow for variety in presentation and ease in adding pictures from a variety of sources including Clip Art. The teacher created a couple of examples of word files with pictures, along with some reminder instructions on how to add pictures, so that Sean could work relatively independently. Sean was encouraged to spell-check and save and print out his own work.
  3. The art and design application, Kidpix was used to create his own pictures e.g., for project work. This software was used with a microphone to encourage social and listening skills as well as turn taking. A group of three students were seated with the teacher around the computer and each student in turn used the microphone to speak about a news item, a poem or an individual story. The students listened intently and with enjoyment for the recorded replay. The teacher saved some of these sound files for later use. . . perhaps to involve the students in making a compilation, thus introducing them to the skills of selecting, ordering and editing material.
  4. A digital camera was used to photograph children and everyday school events in order to motivate writing and discussion as well as to increase understanding of social situations. The teacher created simple computer storyboards/presentations using the pictures with questions (e.g. using text captions or sound files) to prompt discussion. Frequent questions discussed included: What is happening? Where are you? When do you go to the yard?

Tom is a 14-year-old boy, diagnosed with autism and a moderate learning disability. He is in a special school in a class of six students with ASD ranging from 14 to 18 years. A teacher and two SNAs are assigned to this class. Tom’s autism is quite severe and he finds it difficult to interact with people. He likes his environment to be predictable and stable. He enjoys being left on his own with familiar tasks. He is often reluctant to engage with new tasks and requires much prompting and persistence until he accepts them.

Tom shows a real interest in machinery, such as trucks and diggers, and has watched a particular cause/effect program which has a sequential build up of such machines being used by other students. When introduced to the computer, Tom found the relationship between the mouse and the screen difficult to comprehend. He also became distracted by the clicking of the mouse, and tended to watch and repeat this action rather than see what was happening on the screen. He quite naturally pointed to the screen when interested in a picture.

ICT Used

  1. A dedicated touch monitor was purchased and installed on the classroom computer. The touch monitor was chosen over a removable touch screen because of its better durability and accuracy.
  2. The mouse and keyboard were removed completely from Tom’s view.
  3. Tom was brought to the computer and shown how touching the screen began the build up of the machinery images. Touch It software ‘Diggers’ was chosen due to Tom’s high interest in this subject.
  4. Tom’s interest in machinery overcame his resistance to the new tasks and he readily engaged in the activity. The activity required minimal staff interaction once Tom became familiar with the task.
  5. Once Tom had gained a small degree of familiarity with how the program functioned, a small stick on button was then attached to the bottom corner of the monitor. Tom was shown how pressing that switch also changed the image, and he was encouraged to press the switch. As he already had some knowledge of how the program functioned, the button did not distract him as easily as did clicking of the mouse with the original set-up.