Technology Can Help Autistic Children Better Express Themselves

Using hand-held electronic devices can help autistic kids become more independent.

Life’s first lessons are learned by observation. Expressions, gestures, and even speech are gained through imitation of the world around us. But what if a child lacked from birth the ability to connect these observations with his own thoughts and actions? Is intuition a prerequisite for learning, or can it be taught?

Autism, now diagnosed at skyrocketing rates, demands answers to these questions. One in every 110 U.S. children is diagnosed, up from four or five in 10,000 approximately a decade ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Up to half of those diagnosed never develop language. Toddlers typically learn by observation; autistic toddlers do not, leaving them without the building blocks necessary for social integration and self-reliance.

Because of the growing prevalence of the disorder, techniques for better educating people with autism have become hot topics. UT professor Mark O’Reilly, who specializes in learning disabilities, is among those on the cutting edge of autism and developmental-disorder research and education. In fact, he and fellow professor Jeff Sigafoos created a graduate program on the specialty in the College of Education’s Department of Special Education — the first of its kind in Texas.

Through his research, O’Reilly has come to believe that if a teaching technique can pick up where a person’s natural abilities left off, many essential skills might be learned and disruptive behaviors reduced. Studies, including several published by UT faculty, show that common technologies may be able to accomplish just that.

In recent trials, hand-held devices similar to iPods or iPads have been given to people with autism. The devices are loaded with apps that break down daily activities into step-by-step videos. For the autistic, a task like brushing their teeth is not an easy one. Using their hand-held device, autistic people can hear and see detailed instruction of exactly what they need to do to get their teeth clean, every time they do it.

Steps are mirrored over and over in a “repeat after me” fashion that mimics the way the average person learns through imitation, but is buttressed by clear instruction. The goal is to prompt the user to copy actions and ultimately gain independence from the device.

Making and responding to requests can also be taught this way, which research shows can lead to a decrease in disruptive obsessions or physical outbursts.

What’s more, the approach has led to improved socialization and academic retention. Unexpectedly, in some cases children using the hand-held devices have even displayed initial speech skills. O’Reilly and Sigafoos are now exploring this rare result and the possibility of strengthening speech skills beyond the devices. It’s just the beginning of what’s to be accomplished.

“Although there is no cure right now for this syndrome, these children do have the potential to learn,” Sigafoos has said. “We have to give them some means of reaching the outside world and communicating, whether it’s a hand-held voice recognition device, sign language, a computer program or a video — they need a voice.”

Learn more about the University of Texas Autism Project here.