Jul 15, 2012

60-Minutes Segment about iPads and Autism; James Winchester's Tech and Special Needs Blog

Tonight's episode of 60 Minutes included a repeat of a segment about the use of iPad apps with young people who have autism spectrum disorders.   I missed it, but I found it on the CBS website. 


Along with the segment, I found several related videos and transcripts. If you have a moment, take the time to look!


Apps for Autism (60 Minutes Video)

RELATED
Interview of Temple Grandin about autism
Temple Grandin's Unique Brain
SEN Classroom: Ideas and Tech in a SEN Classroom
(James Winchester's blog)
James is a special educator who has a wealth of  "how-to" knowledge about technology and special needs. If you are interested, take a look at his blog's archive. He writes about iPad apps,  the use of the Kinect with students at his school, and more.  He specializes in a Life Skills curriculum, which focuses on social, communication, and vocational skills that the students will need as they become members of the community.  



I recently wrote a post about Po-Motion, an interactive tech start-up based in Winnipeg, Canada, and learned that the system is used as an interactive wall display in a sensory room at a school for children who have severe disabilities, including autism. More information about the use of this system, including a video, can be found on James Winchester's blog post, Po-Motion Interactive Wall in the Sensory Room.  



Comment:

In my work as a school psychologist, I use technology with students who have severe autism several days a week, along with my colleagues.  I plan to share more information on this topic from time-to-time in future posts. 


I am putting together a web page with resources about autism and technology. My resources include descriptions of systems and applications, videos, and presentation slides from a variety of researchers, developers, and practitioners.  Suggestions are welcome!


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