Technology Tips

Assistive Technology

Generally, children learn through sensory experiences like seeing (visual), hearing (auditory) or touching (tactile-kinaesthetic) an object. When it comes to children with autism, they often rely on one of these learning styles to gain information about their environment. By systematic observation, a parent and staff member may be able to determine the learning style of a child with autism.

3 simple ways to determine the type of learner:

1. If the child with autism talks a lot with people and enjoys music, then they may be an auditory learner.
    
2. If the child enjoys looking at pictures, observing people, and watching things around him intensely, then they are most probably a visual learner.
    
3. If the child is constantly moving and manipulating things around, then they are a kinaesthetic learner and absorbs most information through hands-on activities.

What is assistive technology?

Assistive technology helps enhance the learning outcome for individuals with different abilities. It refers to tools that are used to engage children with autism in learning and socialisation. An assistive device may be a hand-held tablet or a desktop with specialised software or an application. Custom-made devices can also be designed to suit the individualistic needs of the child.

At Anson Street School we use a range of assistive technology to support our students including eye gaze iPads, Jelly Bean and BigMack buttons and switches, step by step communicators, visuals and PECS, PODD books, social stories, Auslan, websites and applications including Sounding Board and Proloquo2Go.