dareelphil Report post Posted March 31, 2007 Hi, I am currently writing a dissertation about the use of ICT and Autistic children and wondered if anyone could give me their opinions - does it help or does it hinder? ICT includes computers, videos, tapes, dvds, cameras etc etc Any ideas/opinions would be greatly appreciated, Thanks, Phil (NAS Befriender) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pearl Report post Posted March 31, 2007 Weeeell, J has been interested in technology from being tiny, & is currently doing BTEC national IT practitioners at college, so I'd have to say it helped hopefully he'll get a career out of it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dareelphil Report post Posted March 31, 2007 Cool, thanks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David Matthew Baker Report post Posted March 31, 2007 The Special School that I worked in for autistic children certainly used ICT fairly often. I think there were many who it benefited though a few could become obsessive about it. Also a few were too good at it so started using the computers for inappropriate activities. Overall though as the majority of ASD children tend to prefer visual learning it seem to be a lot of benefit. A lot of the teachers used interactive whiteboards to help the students take a greater part in lessons. Access was also used as a reward to encourage the students to work. I know at least 3 or 4 had their own websites too. I expect others did too. They're just the ones who told me about them. Certainly my overall impression was that all the students like any lessons where ICT was used in it's various forms. Primary lessons on the interactive whiteboards also went down a treat and so did any time they had access to the single PC in their classrooms. Not sure what the student I support at my current schools view is on ICT but at I guess I would say he enjoys it. He is into a lot of different technology in anycase. Have seen him on his mobile a few times. Also shown interest in various games consoles other students own. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elun1 Report post Posted March 31, 2007 My severely autistic 5 yr old who also has SLD is more switched on by computers than anything. He has at last learnt to use the mouse and can surf ceebeebies like a pro!! Elun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pepper Report post Posted March 31, 2007 im not overly sure if its ICT learning? but i do know that listening skills for son is an issue, and visual aids are far better - so in the main computer skills are visual and also its more a skill of thinking outside the box, which generally suits aspergers kids far more sons at an academic grammar school which is very set in its ways and ICT is one subject that isnt set in stone, no boundries - a subject he can do at his own pace and own style, in the main? but then ive always found ICT as a subject to be one of teh few that isnt encompassed by all round ability, many pupils excell regardless Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dareelphil Report post Posted March 31, 2007 Thanks for all your replies! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canopus Report post Posted March 31, 2007 Hi, I am currently writing a dissertation about the use of ICT and Autistic children and wondered if anyone could give me their opinions - does it help or does it hinder? ICT includes computers, videos, tapes, dvds, cameras etc etc Do you mean the use of ICT hardware and software as tools used when teaching a variety of subjects, or do you mean ICT as a separate subject? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clare63 Report post Posted March 31, 2007 I would say it really helps.....my dear son is a real ICT buff Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pearl Report post Posted March 31, 2007 Just another thought, J is extremely slow at writing so does much much better on a keyboard. Not many jobs now require lots of writing so again, that is helpful. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KateBall Report post Posted March 31, 2007 My son (8) has just started to use a small laptop in class in place of writing because he can't write - or at least he can but no one can read what he's written! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jb1964 Report post Posted March 31, 2007 My daughter loves computers - everything about them and they help her so much with her school work - her writing is quite good but she is very very slow at it - and she is so fast on the pc that it helps so much. I too hold out so much on her eventually getting some sort of job within the IT world - she enjoys drawing and graphics so I'm hoping on that end she'll do well. Take care Jb PS - she also drew my avatar - using her graphic tablet... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Flora Report post Posted April 1, 2007 Hi, I am currently writing a dissertation about the use of ICT and Autistic children and wondered if anyone could give me their opinions - does it help or does it hinder? ICT includes computers, videos, tapes, dvds, cameras etc etc Any ideas/opinions would be greatly appreciated, Thanks, Phil (NAS Befriender) Actually this is a bit of a bug bear of mine. ICT does, in most of our minds, include all the things you mention... EXCEPT when it comes to the National Curriculum when it includes everthing but!!!! I thought my son would be good at ICT but he has found the ICT curriculum very difficult..... It isn't about computers or any of the things you mention... It's all about statistics, advertising, marketing ...... in short... the secondary school ICT curriculum= business studies!!! ICT in the form you mention is something my son is very good at.... He is brilliant with computers, graphics, setting up cameras etc...... But maybe it will be an interesting feature of your disertation if you mention how the ICT curriculum in secondary schools has very little to do with computers, videos, tapes and cameras but is more like a business studies course. Flora Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canopus Report post Posted April 1, 2007 ICT in the form you mention is something my son is very good at.... He is brilliant with computers, graphics, setting up cameras etc...... But maybe it will be an interesting feature of your disertation if you mention how the ICT curriculum in secondary schools has very little to do with computers, videos, tapes and cameras but is more like a business studies course. I think I mentioned something like this before. The GCSE ICT curriculum is very untechnical and exam papers are highly descriptive. It is the sort of subject that an 8 year old with good written communication skills but knows hardly anything about computers could easily get an A* grade. A 16 year old with AS who knows a lot about computers but doesn't have good written communication skills would probably end up with a C grade. The old computing GCSE / O Level was a lot more technical than the ICT GCSE. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stressedmumto2 Report post Posted April 1, 2007 My son is very good at the computer and does learn alot from it, he is a very visual learner only he can become abit obsessive about it which can cause problems. In one of his school reports it said he was very good at it and able to help and show others what to do which is great really because no doubt that willboost his confidence as he's not too good in other subjects <'> Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David Matthew Baker Report post Posted April 1, 2007 In a PM the author of this thread sent to me he mentioned he is involved with education at the primary level. Not sure if he minds people knowing this but I guess it will help you when it comes to writing replies. I do have more information but I'll allow him to provide that if he wishes to. It is interesting to read your thoughts on the I.T. curriculum though. I understand what you mean by that. Even when I did my GCSEs (I have a half GCSE in IT) I thought the course didn't really focus enough on the technical side and it seems to have got worse not better. I don't know if any schools offer the European Computer Driving License as that is a lot more technical. Still does have the legal stuff though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canopus Report post Posted April 2, 2007 I was focusing on the secondary and GCSE curriculum rather than the primary curriculum. Primary schools nowadays place a great emphasis on the use of computers in all subjects. The most commonly used software appears to be word processors and graphics packages. Sometimes specific education software is used but not as much as in the 80s and early 90s. Schools don't teach how computers work although programming is creeping back into the syllabus with roamer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MichelleW Report post Posted April 2, 2007 (edited) In a talk recently, Wendy Lawson mentioned the book "Getting IT: Using Information Technology to Empower People with Communication Difficulties" by Dinah Murray and Ann Aspinall which is basically written about use of IT technology to help with communication difficulties. Though I haven't read the book yet, my understanding is that by using different types of technologies you can aid communication. i.e. computers for email. My personal experience so far is mainly with digital camara/computer and printer for 1) creating visual timetables for J. 2) taking photos of outings at weekends/school holidays to put into a "diary" which J took into school on a Monday - photos prompted him to remember what he had done and helped him to communicate what he had done. Without the photos, if he had be asked what he had done at the weekend, his response would have been " I don't know". Unfortunately this dried up when he changed teachers - but is something I want to restart for when J returns to school after Easter. 3) My youngest isn't diagnosed with anything yet but is non verbal. I have bought sheets of magnetic printer "paper" and have taken photo's of objects and transferred them on to the magnetic sheets (via computer/printer) and cut them up to make fridge magnets. So we are just starting to try the PECS system and it looks very promising so far. My eldest is very much into technology, and I did get him a laptop but at the moment am not sure how to use it to it's full potential. I think I may get the earlier mentioned book to get some ideas. Edited April 2, 2007 by MichelleW Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CEJesson Report post Posted April 15, 2007 I am certainly motivated by using computers. I take A level ICT at the moment, but have never been obsessed with them in a typical AS fashion. Still, I find it a good past time to surf the net and to do as much homework as possible on the word processor. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pearl Report post Posted April 15, 2007 Actually this is a bit of a bug bear of mine. ICT does, in most of our minds, include all the things you mention... EXCEPT when it comes to the National Curriculum when it includes everthing but!!!! I thought my son would be good at ICT but he has found the ICT curriculum very difficult..... It isn't about computers or any of the things you mention... It's all about statistics, advertising, marketing ...... in short... the secondary school ICT curriculum= business studies!!! ICT in the form you mention is something my son is very good at.... He is brilliant with computers, graphics, setting up cameras etc...... But maybe it will be an interesting feature of your disertation if you mention how the ICT curriculum in secondary schools has very little to do with computers, videos, tapes and cameras but is more like a business studies course. Flora We found that too, & managed within the 1st month to get J exempted from the business studies side of it, he did extra IT stuff instead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canopus Report post Posted April 16, 2007 We found that too, & managed within the 1st month to get J exempted from the business studies side of it, he did extra IT stuff instead. How did you manage this? If it's part of the course and required for the exam or coursework then it has to be studied at some point in time. I'm investigating the IGCSE course to see whether it is more technical and better suited to people with AS. Unfortunately there is no way in this world that a state school can offer an IGCSE in any subject. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pearl Report post Posted April 16, 2007 How did you manage this? If it's part of the course and required for the exam or coursework then it has to be studied at some point in time. I'm investigating the IGCSE course to see whether it is more technical and better suited to people with AS. Unfortunately there is no way in this world that a state school can offer an IGCSE in any subject. It was a GNVQ he was studying, was quite surprised myself that we managed it but they didnt seem to have a problem with it, & he ended up with a distinction. Maybe it came under reasonable adjustment. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
