Mpowers3 : Look at what I've created with... Mpowers3 : I've just started using #foldify... Foldify. iPads and tablets could help autistic kids learn social skills. Many of us look towards technology for future improvements in the treatment of a host of diseases and ailments. But technology isn’t always an easy answer; sometimes it does more harm than good. Get the Start-Up Israel's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories Free Sign up! Like using computers to help autistic kids interact. “Kids are attracted to technology, and computers and devices like iPads can appear to help draw autistic kids out of their shell,” says Haifa University Professor Tamar Weiss, one of the world’s leading experts on the use of technology in autism research.
“But sometimes that attraction is not a good thing. Kids with autism ignore social interactions, so they often feel very comfortable with computers, because using them is a singular activity. They can sit with an iPad for a whole day and never look up even once.” With the introduction of the iPad, said Weiss, touch-screen technology is available to everyone. Geek.teacher » Blog Archive » Two Week iPad Trial: Part 4 (teacher survey) Online poker newsPart 1 Part 2 Part 3 I asked the teachers who did a full day with the iPads to fill out a survey.
The results are pretty encouraging. On the personal side, they all rated my technology instruction throughout the day to be excellent, which, I’ll admit, feels awesome. I can’t completely trust the results since they know that I know who’s taking it, but I figure if I keep telling people to let me know when I screw up, sooner or later somebody will. The more useful data for me really comes from questions about engagement, activities, and overall feelings about the iPad, and potential future use. Quality of engagement: I’ll freely admit there’s some shiny-new bias in here. Quality of activities: I sat with each teacher for 20-30 minutes to plan the major bones of the iPad day, with each of us taking our individual pieces and coming up with additional materials or instructional plans. Feelings about the iPad: I’ll be frank that this surprised me. Future use: Like this: Like Loading...