I have heard some criticism of toting the i pad as an autism tool. However, our personal experience with the devise has been a very positive one.
Recently Matthew and Paul went to Australia for a visit with the grandparents. The flight itself, and the layovers, are very long and can be arduous with any child, let alone an autistic child. Paul felt the i pad was a life saver. It kept Matthew happy and occupied through out the journey.
My own observation with the i pad has been an increased attention span, increased language specific to his life experience by viewing family photos, and increase in problem solving skills, all of which are important life skills. Perhaps an argument would be that he would acquire these skills naturally as his development progresses. And, although that may be true, I truly believe this technology is helping to speed that process along. In addition I have noticed that Matthew is very calm when using the ipad, making it a useful tool for curtailing his hyper activity.
Here is the article.
http://www.sfweekly.com/2010-08-11/news/ihelp-for-autism/6/
Posts
1 comment:
As with a lot of things, I think that it's important to maintain a balance - iPads are great tools, along with exposing kids to a wide variety of life experiences and not allowing too much of any one thing. It's a great tool to have, in moderation!
Post a Comment