Max has a friend!!

For those of you who know someone with Aspergers/Autism, you know that one of the biggest challenges for them is to make friends. These kids are just as sensitive, loving and emotional as a typical school-going child, yet they view and say things differently. They have a difficult time 'reading' non-verbal communication, such as body language, facial expressions, as well as comprehend figurative language. They take everything at 'face value' and follow all the rules. Yet, they do not understand why even when they are good at playing basketball, they are the last ones to be picked by their classmates to be on a team.

Parenthood is a show on TV that I've been following since it started over a year ago. One of my favorite characters on this show is a little boy named Max. Max is a wonderful child who loves insects and playing video games. Once he starts an activity, he has to finish it. He cannot stop in between, no matter what. He  has to follow his routine/plan. Sound familiar? He follows all the rules, but does not understand why grown-ups 'bend' the rules at times. He is this bright and lovable boy. Yet, he is constantly rejected by friends at school. He sits alone during lunch-time and is picked last on basketball teams. Last week, Max made a friend. He had a friend come over to him house for the very first time. EVER. It was so touching and I can only imagine what the parents were feeling.

Now I know this is a television show and not real-life, but because I know of so many families in similar situations, it felt very real and personal.

It's such a simple human need- to have a friend, to fit-in, to feel connected with someone. But it is SO complex with all our human emotions and personalities. Yayyy for Max!! Double yayyy for his parents Christina and Adam...it's been a tough, tough road for them as well.

New and Exciting Technology:Use of iPads for therapy

It's been a busy few months and I haven't had a chance to update this blog. Lately, I've been working on setting up iTunes at work and using apps with several students. Almost all reaction by students has been positive. They are highly engaged with the touch screen, recording their voice and listening to the play back. This is VERy exciting, because for a lot of the students I work with, the biggest challenge is finding things that motivate them.

If you haven't seen this telecast of 60 minutes that first aired in October 2011 about Apps for Autism, click here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7385686n

The biggest contribution of Steve Jobs and Apple really has been the marketing of the iPad. The iPad, in all it's glory, has drawn so many parents of children with special needs and popularized voice-output devices. The truth is that there are several such devices that have existed in the market for many, many years. They never gained the popularity that Apple devices have, in fact, most of the world does not even know that they exist.

Days after this was broadcast, I was flooded with questions from co-workers about if I had seen the show and what I thought about it. I think the show was a great summary about the possibilities of what an iPad, or can do for kids with ASD. Here are a few important facts I'd like to point to:

1. The iPad is not the only tablet avaialable in the marlet. There are several touch screen options. Although, the Apple offers the largest and most diverse apps.
2. What makes this whole experience exciting is not the iPad alone, but also the apps. The credit goes not just to Apple for creating the iPad, iPod Touch; but to app creators who have created these wonderful apps. Some of them are simple ideas, but can be life-changing for a child with a developmental disability and their parents.
3. Proloquo2Go is only one of the many apps that can be used for communication. It might NOT be a good fit for every child with autism, but other apps could be.
4. iPads/ other tablets can be useful for not just children with autism, but for any child, with or without disability. I have used an iPod Touch with students with autism, Aspergers, developmental delays and language disorders. I feel that they can all benefit from it in different ways.

The autism parents community was, as expected, greatly affected and influenced by the show. After a patient's extended family saw the 60 minutes clip, they were convinced that an iPad is just what he needed and pitched-in to buy him one. Will an iPad solve all these little boy's problems? No, but it might be something positive in his day and a motivating way to learn for him. Will it interfere with his sensory need to look at lights and will he be constantly flicking screens? Only time will tell.

I am personally very excited about the possibilities. When a child who "just wants to do nothing" and is motivated by "nothing" is motivated by the iPad, that is what we'll use to get to him :)