ABSTRACT
The use of technology in intervention and instruction for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing at a striking rate. The purpose of this paper is to examine the research literature underlying the use of technology in interventions and instruction for high school students with ASD. In this paper, authors propose a theoretical and conceptual framework for examining the use of technology by and for adolescents with ASD in school, home, and community settings. This framework is then used to describe the research literature on efficacy of intervention and instruction that utilizes technology. A review of the literature from 1990 to the end of 2013 identified 30 studies that documented efficacy of different forms of technology and their impact on academics, adaptive behavior, challenging behavior, communication, independence, social competence, and vocational skills.
Subject(s)
Autism Spectrum Disorder/rehabilitation , Computer-Assisted Instruction/methods , Adaptation, Psychological , Adolescent , Humans , Social SkillsABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The authors aimed to compare gesture use in infants with autism with gesture use in infants with other developmental disabilities (DD) or typical development (TD). METHOD: Children with autism (n = 43), DD (n = 30), and TD (n = 36) were recruited at ages 2 to 7 years. Parents provided home videotapes of children in infancy. Staff compiled video samples for 2 age intervals (9-12 and 15-18 months) and coded samples for frequency of social interaction (SI), behavior regulation (BR), and joint attention (JA) gestures. RESULTS: At 9-12 months, infants with autism were less likely to use JA gestures than infants with DD or TD, and less likely to use BR gestures than infants with TD. At 15-18 months, infants with autism were less likely than infants with DD to use SI or JA gestures, and less likely than infants with TD to use BR, SI, or JA gestures. Among infants able to use gestures, infants with autism used fewer BR gestures than those with TD at 9-12 months, and fewer JA gestures than infants with DD or TD at 15-18 months. CONCLUSION: Differences in gesture use in infancy have implications for early autism screening, assessment, and intervention.
Subject(s)
Autistic Disorder/psychology , Child Language , Communication Disorders/psychology , Gestures , Nonverbal Communication/psychology , Autistic Disorder/diagnosis , Child , Child, Preschool , Communication , Communication Disorders/diagnosis , Female , Humans , Infant , Language Development , Male , Retrospective Studies , Social Behavior , Videotape RecordingABSTRACT
This study describes the language environment of preschool programs serving children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and examines relationships between child characteristics and an automated measure of adult and child language in the classroom. The Language Environment Analysis (LENA) system was used with 40 children with ASD to collect data on adult and child language. Standardized assessments were administered to obtain language, cognitive, and autism severity scores for participants. With a mean of over 5 hours of recording across two days several months apart, there was a mean of 3.6 child vocalizations per minute, 1.0 conversational turns (in which either the adult or child respond to the other within 5 seconds) per minute, and 29.2 adult words per minute. Two of the three LENA variables were significantly correlated with language age-equivalents. Cognitive age-equivalents were also significantly correlated with two LENA variables. Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule severity scores and LENA variables were not significantly correlated. Implications for using the LENA system with children with ASD in the school environment are discussed.
Subject(s)
Child Development Disorders, Pervasive/psychology , Language Development , Schools , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Language , Language Development Disorders/diagnosis , Language Development Disorders/psychology , Male , Psychological Tests , Schools/organization & administration , Teaching/methodsABSTRACT
This study evaluates an intervention targeting social-communication and play skills (Advancing Social-communication And Play; ASAP) implemented by school staff in a public preschool setting. With increases in enrollment of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in school systems, establishing the effectiveness and feasibility of interventions implemented in school settings is important. In clinical settings, interventions targeting social-communication and play behaviors have increased these skills and impacted later language abilities. Results of this single-case design study indicated the ASAP intervention had a positive impact on social-communication and play skills for three preschoolers with ASD. All participants showed either increases in frequency or more stability in targeted behaviors. Social validity results provide additional support for the use of ASAP with preschoolers with ASD.
