Technology and Autism

I have had to do a lot of compromising when it comes to my son. I believe in limiting the use of technology with children. I believe spending time doing activities outside are important. I also believe that indoor activities should be craft projects, family board games, reading and an hour of television.

When you have a child that is limited in his fine motor skills, shows an interest in what is on the television, what do you do? You compromise. You introduce more technology to your child and hope for a response. I have been lucky with my nonverbal son. Last year, he was able to use the computer keyboard and touch screen to “talk” with me. I learned that he had taught himself to read by watching television with the closed caption on.

I have changed the way that I perceive the use of technology with children. I still encourage my preferred activities, but I have found a balance between them and technology. Technology has been great with my son’s communication and academic learning. I have compiled a list of items that are can be used in both areas with a child that is diagnosed with Autism. There are a lot more, and I advise parents to research what may benefit their child.

Digital Voice Tech has the MV-1000 for communication. This is an easy to use communication device that allows for basic communication between your child and another person. Their website is http://digitalvoicetech.com


Cambium Learning has products for communication and for learning. They also have a thirty day trial download for the MathPad program. I haven’t had an opportunity to try this, but I intend to. Other items available that look interesting are the overlays for the keyboard and literacy software. Their website is http://store.cambiumlearning.com.











Mayer-Johnson has a large selection of items for all needs. I use the Boardmaker Plus v.6 and love it. I am working on getting a Dynavox communication device for my son. It will be paid for by his insurance and this process takes time. I like the Dynavox because it is a carry everywhere version on my home computer set up. My son understands how to use Boardmaker templates and he understands how to navigate pages on it. I feel that the Dynavox will be a good communication device for him. Mayer-Johnson also has low-tech and no-tech (picture cards) for communication and learning. I recommend going to their website and requesting a catalog to be sent to you. Their website is http://www.mayer-johnson.com.

ClickN Kids is an online service for beginning reading. It covers Kindergarten to Third Grade. They have a one time fee for a lifetime membership. They also guarantee their program.

“Industry Best 60-Day No Questions Asked Money Back and Our Completion Guarantee!
Complete all 100 lessons and if you tell us that your child has not learned to read, we will refund your money. This guarantee applies to homes, schools and also applies to children with learning disabilities and adults! Also, within 60-days of your purchase, simply send us an email for a 100% refund of your purchase, no questions asked.”

Their website is http://www.clicknkids.com.

Oticon has hearing aids for children that also can help reduce background or environmental noises. The Amigo has a built in antennae and does not require programming. Their website is www.oticon.ca.

b-Calm is another product to reduce background noise. It is small, like an iPod, and comes with a headset and earplugs. I am currently reviewing this product and will be doing a giveaway for one in May. Their website is www.b-calmsound.com.

There are also sites that will help you with your organizational needs and to help you keep in contact and share information with everyone who works with your child. AutismPro, www.AutismPro.com is designed for professionals who work with autistic children. A parent that homeschools their child might benefit from this website.

CrossLoop and Parlerai are both sites that you can use to share information with others regarding your child. CrossLoop provides you with the ability to easily share documents and pictures, while offering technical support. Parlerai offers the ability to share information and to create your own, private social network. The websites are http://www.crossloop.com and http://www.parlerai.com.

There are a lot more products and websites that can help your family. The ones I’ve listed are just a few. I use Boardmaker and am currently reviewing b-Calm. The rest of the products and sites I have listed are just to provide you with the information. I would love to review many of them (and others that I have not listed) personally and let you know my opinion, but I can not afford to go out and purchase them. The downside to using technology is the cost. Even the low cost items can be out of our budget, and we have to go through the long process of getting our child’s insurance company to pay. There are some items that can be covered and others that won’t. It just depends on what type of insurance you have. I have also found that it can take six months to a year to get the item. My son’s insurance covered Boardmaker Plus v.6 and a Touchscreen, but it took us six months to get it. Keep an eye out for the giveaway in May for b-Calm. One winner will have one sent directly to them from the company. Yeah!