Research Shows...
Computers Motivate Students with Autism!
Those
who have worked closely with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
(ASD) know how much they can benefit from carefully designed computer-delivered
interventions.
Software programs can provide the highly structured interactions needed
to illustrate the formal aspects of language. They can also be used as
tools to improve communication and social interaction.
Given the difficulty that students with ASD have in communicative and
social contexts, they frequently have problems learning and focusing
in teaching dyads. Software actually provides them an opportunity to
focus on content by eliminating the distractions of human instruction.
Laureate’s Autism Packages will not only motivate your students with ASD, but will promote their language development as well.
This was demonstrated in a recent study of three to
six year old children with ASD where the students were more attentive
and motivated when using a computer than they were with the human instructor.
More importantly, they actually learned and retained more vocabulary
items with computer administered training than they did with one-on-one
instruction with a teacher (Moore & Calvert, 2000).
Laureate’s two-level Autism/PDD
Package addresses the language and communication needs of students
with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
The 12 programs in Level 1 are for students with very limited communication
skills. It contains software for cause & effect training, early vocabulary
development, emerging syntax, category concepts, and expressive language.
The programs in the package provide both highly-structured direct instruction
as well as opportunities for independent exploration. For example, the
Talking Series can be used to train turn-taking, commenting, and requesting
in a non-threatening environment where the student can activate keys
and pictures to produce sentences. TalkTime with Tucker can be used to
encourage vocalizations. Simple Sentence Structure helps students establish
Subject-Verb-Object word order for the comprehension and production of
sentences. First Categories develops early categorization skills.
The 20 programs in Level 2 are for students who are communicating but
are not yet proficient in understanding and using their language. The
software includes programs for auditory awareness, discrimination and
processing, following directions, syntax mastery, vocabulary and concept
development, irregular verb use, and narrative development.
Students will increase their vocabulary knowledge to include not only
naming but also understanding the functions of various objects, the categories
into which they belong, paired associations, attributes, and opposites.
They will learn the important concepts of same and different and will
develop the ability to follow one- and two-stage auditory directions.
Tiger’s Tale
will help them not only with expressive language but also understanding
and responding to various social situations. Swim, Swam, Swum provides
listening, reading, and spelling activities designed to help students
master high-frequency irregular verbs.
Laureate’s Autism Packages will not only motivate your students
with ASD, but will promote their language development as well.
