Health

A s a father of four autistic children – rang- ing in ages from 3 to 8 – I can tell you the iPad has helped my children learn in ways I never imagined. After my oldest son and daughter were diag- nosed with autism spectrum disorder in 2010, we received a DynaVox from our insurance company for our daughter. Those touch-screen devices were large and clunky. The kids didn't like them, my wife and I had no idea how to program them, and the therapists didn't use them. When the insur- ance one for my son, we didn't even take it out of the box. At the time, my eldest, Maggie, was only inter- ested in gross motor play. She never engaged in fine motor or imaginative play – things that would show she was developing as a typical child. That all changed with the iPad, which debuted that year. After a few times of using the iPad with her therapists, Maggie was playing with the apps and games on the iPad, showing precision finger usage to move icons around and complete complex tasks. I saw her using cognitive abilities she had never before dis- played. When my mother first saw Maggie using such adept skills with the iPad, she gifted her one. We bought a second one shortly thereafter for my son to use, as it was helping him develop the same skills. The problem with iPads is they are expensive, fragile machines and often need to be repaired. Luckily, we came across a grant program from the Greater New England MS Society, which would eventually buy the more portable and durable iPad Mini for each of my four children. The MS Society even bought us the Proloquo2Go app, a $200 pro- gram that helps speechless children with enuncia- tion, word recognition and sentence structure. That app was particularly helpful in helping my oldest son, Desmond, learn to talk. Because the iPads are communication tools, my wife and I let our children use the devices without restriction. Sometimes I wish they would use them more for complex games and less to watch YouTube Kids; yet, it is entirely worth it. The iPads require a level of intelligence and interaction my kids had previously not displayed, so even if I have to listen to a dozen variations on the song "Let it Go" from the "Frozen" movie for several hours a day, I wouldn't trade them in for anything. Brad Kane is the editor of the Worcester Business Journal The invaluable iPad A parent's perspective \\ Brad Kane Portability Another advantage of tablets and other handheld devices is that they're commonly used in public and they're easy to take along. Cary Stephens' 12-year- old son Ryan, a student at The Darnell School, car- ries an iPhone with him, using pictures on the touch screen to communicate. Ryan was diagnosed with autism spectrum disor- der when he was 2 years old. Ryan can speak and understands much of what is is said to him but has trouble communicating his thoughts. He has few interests, but technology is a big exception. Stephens was struck when Ryan, at the age of 3, was able to use a computer mouse well and his aptitude for tech- nology has continued as computers have evolved. Because most of the language he has learned has sprung from technology, Stephens and her husband view it as an integral part of Ryan's daily life. Still, technology isn't perfect. Stephens said the Proloquo2Go app, for instance, is somewhat con- fusing to Ryan. For instance, he doesn't understand that if he asks for pizza in the middle of the school day, he probably won't get it. Stephens hopes apps will become even more sophisticated in order to avoid scenarios like this one. "I would love it if we could just give it to him and he could communicate all the things he thinks and feels," Stephens said. Old-fashioned teaching The communication app market is ever changing. So says Beth Bellone, director of Speech & Language Services at the New England Center for Children, a world-renowned autism education cen- ter headquartered in Southborough. Bellone said she spends one day every week sifting through new apps and reviews to determine what the latest options are. Apps are carefully considered and test- ed before purchases are made. "You have to find your trusted source (of infor- mation) because it's easy to get caught up in what- ever is the newest and most trendy thing," Bellone said. She added apps are just one tool that speech language pathologists use, albeit an important one. A teacher and student at the New England Center for Children in Southborough use an app that helps autistic students communicate. HEALTH • Winter 2016 15 H 2000....................................................... 1 in 150 2002....................................................... 1 in 150 2004....................................................... 1 in 110 2006......................................................... 1 in 88 2008......................................................... 1 in 88 2010 ....................................................... 1 in 68 2012 ....................................................... 1 in 68 The growing prevalence of autism spectrum disorder The number of U.S. children diagnosed has risen steadily in the last 15 years. In 2014, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1 in 68 children had autism. * Year Prevalence *2012 was the last surveillance year reported Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "We need to continue with good, old-fashioned interaction and teaching," Bellone said. Go with what works Because children with autism vary widely in their abilities and needs, there shouldn't be a one- size-fits-all approach to the use of technology to aid communication, said Kara Medeiros, a profes- sor in the communication sciences and disorders department at Worcester State University. A speech language pathologist by training, Medeiros researched augmentative and alternative communication methods for use in aiding verbal development. This means using all forms of com- munication, such as pictures, symbols and gestures, to help children communicate. Medeiros said tech- nology has now caught up with these methods. "The biggest thing is, use what works. If it works and it's successful, then it's golden," Medeiros said. H P H O T O / E R I C G R E E N B E R G

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