Abstract:

The incidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is increasing. Today a child with autism accounts for one in every 150 births and it is the fastest growing developmental disability based on rates 2 – 6 per 1,000 births (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007). Early diagnosis and intervention can significantly affect the lives of children with autism spectrum disorders reducing the costs of their lifelong care by nearly two-thirds (Jarbrink and Knapp, 2001). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2004) reports, “Children with ASD identified early and enrolled in early intervention programs often show significant improvements in their language, cognitive, social, and motor skills, as well as their future educational placement.”

In Sarasota, Florida technology and intervention have united to bridge the achievement gap. Begun in September 2006 and completed in December 2007 Sarasota School District was the first public school district in the United States to institute a all-inclusive technology project installing Activ Boards ®, interactive white boards, in every instructional classroom in its 40+ schools. One of the most powerful learning tools in the district’s Next Generation Strategic Plan, the project reflects the school board’s focus to engage today’s digital learners through equity of access of technology for all students in all classrooms, including ESE students.

During this same period, 185 students with autism received exceptional educational services in a variety of delivery models including seven self-contained classrooms (PreK – 5th grade) at Fruitville Elementary School. Leveraging this technology and expanding their instructional tools, teachers at Fruitville developed lessons designed to increase autistic students’ critical thinking, social conversation, reading comprehension, and communication skills.

During this session the presenter will share her research on autistic students’ increased engagement with learning using this new technology. She will discuss her research and observations of students’ increase in developing language, cognitive and social behavior skills. Through interaction with the technology, teachers reported not only have students’ involvement in learning increased, but the technology has also produced an unanticipated increase in incentives for classroom performance. Since the implementation of the technology in the classroom, the teachers have observed and documented students working harder and increasing their use of compromise, cooperation, self-control and imaging skills and increased engagement in the learning process.

Using video, the presenters will showcase how the students are using the new technology. The video will demonstrate how sound, video, web sites, text manipulatives, and other instructional resources are embedded into electronic flip charts providing students with multiple opportunities to be actively engaged and how the teachers and students manipulate these embedded objects creating unique instructional lessons tailored to meet the individual needs of each student.

References:

Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2007. Retrieved August 31, 2008 from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism

Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2004. Retrieved August 31, 2008 from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/overview.htm

Jarbrink, K and Knapp, M. (2001). The economic impact of autism on Britain. Autism, 5 (1), 7 – 22.

Keywords:

autism, technology, case design approach.