Helping Autism

Originally airing in October, 2011 Sixty Minutes replayed a special on Autism this week as part of their follow up on Apple and Steve Jobs.

As a parent of a young adult, who is non-verbal with autism I am always on the lookout for new and better ways to communicate and converse. As can be seen in the report, not all children respond the same using an iPad to interact and learn. But for those who find computers something with which they can engage these new technologies can be life changing. We have seen first-hand how fascinated our son was with the iPad and how quickly he figured out the programs. Like many autistic people he seems to understand computers without any explanation. The touch screen allows him to easily maneuver without great typing (fine motor) skills.

For the transcript of Apps for Autism click here.

For many families cost of the iPad is still an issue. iPads are still around $500 and the Proloquo2go app (as seen in the video) is $189, though some schools will loan them to families. But for the child who now has fewer temper tantrums due to better communication or who can engage in society without an interpreter, the iPad cost is small compared to its benefits.