Autism and the iPAD

Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center

Interactive environments

Conditions associated with Autism

•Difficulties in social interaction•Communication impairment •Language and behavioral problems

Interactive Environments can also help address these complex conditions

Education is the most effective therapeutic strategy to improve these conditions

Computer tools and collaborative interactive environments such as virtual

environments (VE) are of key importance

Human-computer interaction (HCI) is beneficial to children with autism because

they find computers to be a “safe” and enjoyable experience.

Konstantinidis, E, Luneski, A, Frantzidis, C, Nikolaidou, M, & Hitoglou-Antoniadou, M, et al. (2009). Information and communication technologies (ict) for enhanced education of children with autism spectrum disorders. The Journal on Information Technology in Healthcare, 7(5), 284–292. (Slides 2 – 6)

iPad

Computer tools function in a controlled environment with little distractions whereas traditional education tools employ real world environments.

Interactive environments

Real world environments make tasks more difficult for children with autism, since they usually require rapid and flexible thinking.

Interactive computer environments are able to provide the same set of conditions consistently; they are an attractive option for educating children with autism.

What is Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)?

Computer systems function in a controlled environment with minimal distractions. Children with autism may feel “safe” when interacting with a computer, which promotes a positive experience. Computers also make it very easy for teachers and parents to monitor the autistic child’s progress.

Interactive environments

How do interactive environments work?

Various interactive environments have been developed for the rehabilitation of children with autism. These environments are mostly introduced by means of software educational platforms. In order to provide knowledge in an ‘attractive’ way, these platforms use entertainment content in educational settings (edutainment). Photos or animated pictures/videos of daily life objects are presented on a computer monitor to encourage individuals with autism to distinguish objects based on their size, color and type. These photos can motivate children to correlate the objects with sounds and words. The platforms are usually supported by verbal and visual guidance in order to minimize the role of a monitoring teacher.

What are Virtual Environments (VEs)?

VEs are another active area of research for social interventions. They are able to mimic specific social situations in which the user can role-play. The stable and predictable environment provides the opportunity for interactions without the anxiety that often affects autistic people in social interactions. VEs offer safe, realistic-looking 3-dimensional (3D) scenarios that can be built to depict everyday social scenarios. One of the most important aspects of VEs used by individuals with autism in educational settings is their level of enjoyment; autistic individuals, especially children, are more interested in interacting with computers than with toys.

Apple’s iPad

http://www.apple.com/ipad/

Apple’s iPad

• Technology-based educative methods, like the iPad, are increasingly considered as key tools to educate and assist individuals with ASD.

• By means of applications (apps) designed specifically for individuals with ASD, the device will serve as a premier platform for facilitating communication and social interaction.

• In addition to being an educational tool, the iPad can also be used as a communication board or augmentative communication device.

• The iPad hones skills that lay the groundwork for improved academic and social achievement.

• It has been considered a major breakthrough in improving many of the impairments associated with ASD.

The iPad as a new, interactive environment

The Conversation: iPad Gives Voice to the Autistic

ABC News' Sharyn Alfonsi Talks to a Man Helping People Communicate

April 27, 2010

When the iPad was released earlier this month, reviewers were quick to tout its advantages for reading books, watching movies and browsing the Web. What they overlooked, though, was its potential to change the lives of people with autism.

For decades, the autistic have relied on bulky text-to-speech machines in schools and homes to help them communicate. Many of the devices had limited portability, and their cost -- anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 -- placed them out of the reach of families without insurance.

But Samuel Sennott's software, Proloquo2Go, offers comparable features as those older machines on an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch at a fraction of the cost. A Ph.D. student and specialist in Augmentative Alternative Communication at Pennsylvania State University, Sennott co-developed the app, which people can download from the iTunes store just like thousands of other programs.

The program converts symbols and text into speech, which it then reads aloud on an iPad's speakers. Choosing from about 8,000 symbols, people with autism, Lou Gehrig's disease, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and others with trouble communicating can tap out a sentence and give their thoughts a voice.

Today on the Conversation, we talked with Sennott about his software and the difference it's making in people's lives. It's a Conversation about a new way to converse, and we hope you'll check it out.

Copyright © 2010 ABC News Internet Ventures

iPad successes

iPad successes

http://www.blogher.com/ipad-nearmiracle-my-son-autism

iPad in the Media

iPad applications (apps)

Proloquo2GoProloquo2Go, the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) system that has taken the world by storm, is now available on iPad. Proloquo2Go is latin for speak out loud and that’s exactly what it helps people do! It is pronounced “Pro” as in professional, “lo” as in low, and “quo” as in quotation. The “2Go” means mobile.

Proloquo2Go

Proloquo2Go

Proloquo2Go

Proloquo2GoDescription from itunes.com

Proloquo2Go provides a full-featured augmentative and alternative communication solution for people who have difficulty speaking. It provides natural sounding text-to-speech voices (initially American and British only), up-to-date symbols, powerful automatic conjugations, a default vocabulary of over 7000 items, full expandability and extreme ease of use.

Proloquo2Go is for anyone who cannot afford spending thousands of dollars on an AAC device and yet wants a solution that is just as good if not better. SLPs, teachers and parents recommend it for children and adults with autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, developmental disabilities, apraxia, ALS, stroke or traumatic brain injury.

"The price is so compelling," said Dan Herlihy, owner of Connective Technology Solutions, "and the software and hardware platform Proloquo2Go runs on so radically improved over current devices in its category that if not quite a paradigm shift, markedly raises the bar for accessibility, ease of use, and affordability."

INCLUDED VOICES: The current version includes North American English male, female, girl and boy voices. These can be swapped at no costs for British voices that can be downloaded through WiFi by Proloquo2Go. Support for other languages and voices is in the pipeline.

Proloquo2Go

GraceDescription from itunes.com

A simple picture exchange system developed By and For non-verbal people allowing the user to communicate their needs by building sentences from relevant images. It can be customised by the individual using their picture and photo vocabulary with the user taking and saving pictures independently to the app.

The application works in real time and allows the user to select their preferences, then (on iPhone) rotate the device to present a full-sized sentence to the listener - who will read it with them and respond to their request. You can currently have up to eight cards in a 'sentence', and the cards are large enough on iPad to not need a fullscreen view.

The beauty of Grace is that it ensures the interaction of the user with the listener, and mutual understanding of the user's real needs help to increase communication opportunities and build trust.

We're just getting started, with many more features planned, including image and category organization and iPad support. Please let us know if you have any feedback!

Check http://graceappforautismoniphone.blogspot.com/ for the back story to Grace, and for up-to-date support

Grace

iCommunicate for iPadDescription from itunes.com

♦ Product Spotlight in Closing The Gap Solutions magazine June/July 2010♦ “Great example of innovation and accessibility” Mobile Futures♦ Top iPhone Apps for Moms, By Moms-The Huffington Post

Create pictures, flashcards, storyboards, routines, and visual schedules. Record custom audio in any language. We include 100+ pictures(first 5 have audio) to get you started. Add pictures with your camera, or from your camera roll, or use Google image search. Utilize as audio visual prompting tool or AAC device.

Redesigned for the larger iPad screen. Enables individuals with fine motor, coordination, or visual challenges to access the app with greater ease.

This app does not convert text to speech automatically, you need to record audio.

“You have made a huge difference in my child's life. He has a way to communicate his needs, which he didn't have before.” MCharleton

“So happy to have a tool that is so functional and easy to use for children who need visual supports. The audio sounds great.” Developease

“A must have if your child has autism! I have a number of apps downloaded on my iPad for my autistic son, and iCommunicate is by far the most useful and easy to use. My son is only 26 months old, yet he is able to enjoy the program. It is so versatile that we could get a Google image of Itsy Bitsy Spider and all he has to do is touch the picture and he is rewarded with a song!” HD

Lisa Brandolo Johnson, a physical therapist, and Jeffrey Johnson, a software engineer, are a married team with three children, who combined our skills along with our personal experience to found Grembe Apps.  Grembe's mission is to create quality, versatile, affordable apps for parents and professionals who care for children with special needs.  The use of the iPhone, iPod, and iPad has been a revolutionary new platform for assistive technology, and we look forward to expanding on what we've built and moving into other technologies and devices.

“We created iCommunicate to help our own child. It helped us reach our goals for our family. We know everyone has individual and unique needs. We bring you the technology and you customize it to meet these goals. We can't wait to hear how it helps you.”

iCommunicate for iPad

How it helped us:

Show an overview of a specific time frame, like a daily scheduleShow what is about to happen-first songs, then snack, then storyReinforce turn takingHelp children express their needs by pointing to a picture to make a choicePrepare children for transitions or changes in routineShow routines, like bedtime or potty training

http://www.grembe.com/

If your child is suffering from autism or visual challenges then this app is for you. It allows you to create pictures, flashcards, storyboards, routines, visual schedules and record custom audio in any language.

iCommunicate for iPad

iCommunicate for iPad

iCommunicate for iPad

User Reviews

“Perfect! This is exactly what I need for my son who has high-functioning Autism! I was carrying around printed photos to help him understand where we'd be going next, and this makes my life much easier. I like how the images are customizable. Here in the UK we don't have the yellow school buses. It's very easy to make a storyboard.” User: ASunrise

“User friendly, easy to navigate, helps for making choices. Meal time was always so frustrating when I didn't know what my daughter wanted, so I created an entire menu of breakfast items in less than 2 minutes. Perfect for the visual learner who is still developing their language skills.” User: KelD

“This app has helped ease my sons anxiety and lessens his stress. Thank you for making our day a little easier!” User: Ginamcc1

“As a special educator and assistive technology consultant, I am always looking for products that are as mainstream as possible, but offer benefits to my students, iCommunicate is one such product.” User: Accessible Learning

iCommunicate for iPad

First-Then Visual ScheduleDescription from itunes.com

First-Then visual schedule application is designed for caregivers to providepositive behavior support for those with communication needs. This application provides an affordable and convenient audio-visual prompting tool for use on the iPhone or iTouch. The portability of the iPhone and iTouch and ease of use of the application make it perfect for use at school, home or in the community.

Visual schedules provide positive behavior support through the use ofimages that show daily events(i.e. morning routine or therapy schedule) or steps needed to complete a specific activity, (i.e. using the restroom).For individuals with communication needs, developmental delays, spectrum disorders or those who benefit from a structured environment; visual schedules serve to increase independence and lower anxiety during transitions through different activities. Visual schedules help set achild up to be successful with clear expectations by promoting understandingof upcoming events.

First-Then application is unique in that it is completely customizable. Usercan *record their own voice*, *add their own images* from their computer oriPhone camera, or simply use images from the application’s stock library to create a schedule. This customization allows the application to be unique to the user and their needs. This also allows for schedules to be created “on-the-go” to help transition through unexpected changes in a routine.

We also designed First-Then app. to be user friendly through the use of simple menu screens that allow immediate access to previously saved schedules and quick editing. User can add as many images as they need to create the steps needed to complete a task. We also added the option of choosing different formats for use in each of the schedules. These features and format options can be changed at a moments notice depending upon the preference of the user:

*THREE DIFFERENT FORMATS:*

*FULL SCREEN*- In this format a larger image appears on the screen. Useraccesses next image on schedule by simply swiping screen to the left.

*SPLIT** SCREEN*- This format shows two images side by side with an arrowbetween images to guide the sequence of the activity. This is often a visual that is given to portray onditional statements, for example:” First bathroom, then computer”. This helps let the user know what is coming up next. Split screen can be read left to right with captions underneath each image, or top to bottom of screen with schedule scrolling down to see next image in the schedule.

*LIST SCREEN*- This screen allows images to be listed in a list format where four images are placed on schedule. This is great for a schedule for a child that is very familiar with a system of picture exchange or is not as easily distracted by upcoming activities.

First-Then Visual Schedule

*VOICE CAN BE RECORDED *and added to the images to help further reinforce schedule and to aid with receptive and expressive language acquisition. Please note, that if you have an iTouch that you will need to purchase a microphone to record sound.

*ADD YOUR OWN PHOTOS* by using the iPhone’s built in camera or downloadimages from your personal computer and save onto the “camera roll” album forfuture use in other schedules.

*STOCK IMAGE LIBRARY* consists of common images that can be immediately accessed to create schedules.

In addition, for reference we have added three example schedules (contain noaudio-output) that can be deleted or edited.

We at *Good Karma Applications* have an intimate understanding of the needsof those affected with communication and spectrum disorders. It is our mission to provide low-cost, effective applications to that special group of individuals. We hope that our applications will enhance the lives of those leading exceptional lives, and in doing so, provide support for those who love and care for them.

First-Then Visual Schedule

The app allows you to create visual schedules that provide positive behavior support through the use of images that show daily events(i.e. morning routine or therapy schedule) or steps needed to complete a specific activity, (i.e. using the restroom).

First-Then Visual Schedule