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January 7, 2010
iPod Has an App for Autism

By Jeanne Holverstott, M.S.

Handheld devices such as iPods have the potential to help individuals on the spectrum in a variety of ways.

Handheld devices such as iPods have the potential to help individuals on the spectrum in a variety of ways.


Recently, a 7-year-old client walked into my office singing, “Shorty fire burnin’ on the dance floor. Oh whoa!”

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “I have that song on my iPod,” Jonah said. “Sean Kingston, you know.” He then showed me some choice dance moves he choreographed for the song.

I didn’t give it much thought until later that evening when Sam came into my office. “Jeanne, I have something to show you,” he said, proudly holding his new iPod. He quickly scrolled to a song, mounted it on my small iPod player, and pressed play. “Ra ra, ra ra ra. Roma…..” He exclaimed, “Lady Gaga!” After applauding his musical taste and enjoying a short and probably horrific karaoke session that would make Gaga herself blush, we talked about how I will be going to her concert and why he likes her music. “She helps me think at school, especially during math,” he said.

Finally, a light bulb turned on.

I have always worked with a few clients with AS who wear headphones in group therapy to calm them or to dampen noise. I’ve encouraged schools to utilize music, especially with headphones, for many clients. Lady Gaga was not always my top choice, of course, but the goal was to increase focus, reduce sensory distractions, improve mood, and, maybe, just maybe, incite some interest from peers. While schools are somewhat hesitant, I am blessed with teachers who are willing to “try.”

But, why stop there? It’s almost as though iPods do everything but fix the kitchen sink. And we all know that individuals with ASDs are often fairly technologically savvy, so the jump is not a far one. Let’s use them for function as well as fun. Here are some thoughts:

1. We all know about the organizational woes of children on the spectrum. They hate to write, struggle to copy from the board, and forget to write down their assignments. Let’s use technology that they are on par, if not superior, to their peers in using? Most phones, iPods, and iPhones have calendar functions. Templates can be created that shorten the input process as well as personalize subjects, teachers, and schedules. Reminders and alarms allow for further personalization and help with long-term assignments and prioritization.

2. There is nothing more visual than an iPod or iPhone. I hear teachers and parents say, “Check your schedule” ad nauseum. Now that schedule is much “cooler” and, just maybe, more intuitive for our kids.

3. A former colleague talked to me about the use of video modeling with the iPod Nano. They recorded a child doing a particular sequence of events and imported it to his Nano. It now serves as a permanent, live reference that depicts him, not some random person, following a new routine. This usage could be extended infinitely. (Thanks, JoAnne.)

4. Simple little things could be stored in the iPod, too, such as locker combinations (regular and gym locker), phone numbers for emergencies, addresses, lunch account codes, etc.

This list is meager in comparison to how vast the possibilities are. I have taught many, many teens with ASD to text; why can’t we push further into something that has collateral benefits? Just knowing who Lady Gaga is is invaluable. Putting that knowledge to good use is the next step.

NOTE: Jeanne Holverstott, MS is the autism spectrum specialist with Responsive Centers for Psychology and Learning. She has worked with children on the spectrum in a variety of settings and capacities, including a paraeducator, a home therapist, a teacher, a home provider, and a community-based specialist. She regularly appears on this site’s “Ask An Autism Specialist” Q&A, which can be accessed here.

6 Responses to “iPod Has an App for Autism”

  1. Mary Beth Palo says:
    January 8, 2010 at 8:59 am

    Great story!
    Its so obvious its scary! I have been using video modeling to teach my son for ten years now!
    Today’s technology is the next step –
    I hope to see it all happen soon….
    Watch Me Learn has just launched our first app on itunes with flashcards for kids in English and spanish…
    It is just such an obvious way to learn.
    My thanks to you for publishing.
    mb ….

  2. Steve says:
    January 8, 2010 at 12:05 pm

    What’s the name of the app? I would love to check it out.

  3. admin says:
    January 9, 2010 at 8:28 am

    Steve,

    there are a few apps that have been used for different functions — scheduling assistance, communication, social stories — and for different levels of autism. It might be worth it to go to a computer store and ask what’s available.

  4. Jeanne says:
    January 11, 2010 at 11:13 pm

    http://www.modelmekids.com/iphone-app-autism.html

    A great forward from a friend.

  5. Jeanne says:
    January 12, 2010 at 12:03 pm

    http://momnos.blogspot.com/2010/01/spreading-ipod-love.html

  6. Bill says:
    March 14, 2010 at 8:03 pm

    I enjoyed this post.

    For those interested in an application for social situations, KenCrest Services recent create “Mi-Stories” which are video tutorials (iPod/iPhone/DVD)that present models of behavior and language skills that are appropriate in specific situations.

    You can find them here: http://www.kencrest.org/autism_mi_stories.htm

    Thanks,

    Bill

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The Summer Break: A Catch-22?

By Jeanne Holverstott, M.S.

Question: It seems like summer can be full of pitfalls for my son with Asperger’s — the structure has gone away, and he’s no longer in contact with classmates. He is content to play on the computer all day, but seems to get moody more easily. Should we treat summer vacation as a long break from school-year stress, or what?  

Answer: Summer vacation presents a contradiction: Children with autism spectrum disorders thrive on structure, routine, consistency. Summer vacation throws these principles of ASD parenting and behavior management in flux.

It’s time to search for activities to fill the day that do not involve electronics. You’ll want to set new rules on Wii, DS, Xbox, PS3, computer and television usage. It’s also important to find meaningful opportunities for interaction.
 
Children with ASDs approach summer with mixed emotions. Many parents probably share this ambivalence. Just like the school year, summer vacation is permeated with ups and downs. So, what do we do with all of that time? Take the following into consideration:
 
·         In seeking consistency and routine, we hope to reduce the unknown and the gray that causes anxiety and opens Pandora’s box. We hope to create a microcosm of predictability in a world of dynamic instability.  Change in the ASD world can be bad. Yet, how helpful and how realistic is our static world? Perhaps the static world we strive for unwittingly weakens the coping skills, frustration tolerance, adaptability and resiliency that undergirds functioning in a dynamic world. Summer could be viewed as a litmus test for how our children with ASD react to change that comes yearly.
·         That being said, I’m not encouraging schedules to be thrown out the door. No, only those game systems. Again, I kid. Make money in this recession and sell them at Game Stop. Schedules are helpful, but overbooking your kids with camps, lessons, and trips might also not be the solution.
·         To help promote a healthy schedule that allows for family time and for time working on those interaction skills, consider picking one or two activities in which you can involve yourself as a parent in some capacity. If your child joins a social skills group, exchange numbers with the other family members and have the kids over on the weekend. If you join a “team,” consider recording the interactions (which many other parents do!) so that you can review your child’s interactions with him or her and compare them to other teammates. If you hear the ice cream truck, make it a teachable moment: Walk with your child to buy that bombpop and shape what develops. In the end, paying for a camp, a class, a lesson is not always necessary. Taking the time to set up meaningful interactions (such as play dates) can provide the same benefit.
·         As for those electronics I suggested you sell, they are a necessary evil as a stress reliever, entertainment and an escape. You can put constraints on game play – the length of time and the time of day – but don’t necessarily follow my father’s adage: The sun is out, you should be too. Video games might prove a nice break midday when the heat is at its worst or after an exciting morning.
 
There is a quote you might appreciate at this time: “The longer the summer vacation, the harder the fall.”

Jeanne Holverstott is an autism spectrum specialist who practices at the Responsive Centers in Overland Park. To ask Jeanne a question about autism, send e-mail to editor@spectrumconnection.net, and put “Question” in the subject line.

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DEVELOPING TALENTS

Intervene, Intervene, Intervene

By Kate Duffy

A while back, Toni, the SpectrumConnection editor, asked me to write about how far parents should go to help their teens on the spectrum land a job. Since then, several of our Hot Topics parents have shared their kids’ job search stories with me, and I realized there was no easy answer to her question. For the most part, though, their stories revolved around the kids’ inability to accurately read situations, to remember instructions and to multitask to make a deadline. Looking at that list, it sounds like business as usual on the job for most of us — which is why it is so very important that our kids start learning about the world of work as soon as they can.

That’s why the short answer to Toni’s question is this: do what you need to do.
And don’t do it alone.
Team up with the people in your life to introduce your teen to the world of work. When you get burned out – and you will – you’ll have reinforcements to soldier on to do the hard work of teaching your kid that he has to work and that not everyone is as fascinated with Pokemon, fighter planes, railroad time schedules as he is. You want your teen to join the outside world in a safe, organized manner, so bring in those folks you think would be good role models and champions for your teen.

How involved should you and your team become with your kid’s job search? There is no one right answer, but remember that our kids are generally younger than their chronological age, so that a 16 year old on the spectrum is more like an 11 or 12 year old emotionally.

The end goal is for your teen to get some work experience and to be out in the world, so he understands more about the way the world operates. Given that, it’s not as important how your teen gets a job, just that he has one.

For many, the first job is sacking groceries. So you definitely want to know your neighborhood grocery store manager. You’ll want to talk to the manager before your teen does, letting him or her know about your teen’s strengths and problems. In addition, you’ll want to let the manager know something about autism, especially how prevalent it is, how it affects families throughout the community. By hiring your teen, tell the manager, the store is helping the autism community, which is loyal to supportive businesses.

Do you need to let your teen know about all your behind-the-scene maneuvering? No, you don’t, and it’s better if you don’t. Each kid is different, and so you have to tailor the approach to the kid. For instance, both of my sons are on the spectrum, but they are very different from each other temperamentally. With my oldest son, Nick, who has a lot of anxiety, I frequently have had to go around his back to get him to try new things. That’s how he started playing chess, which he loves, and is a skill he has made money from for a number of years.

Playing chess on a team and then being the team’s assistant coach for three years was a great experience for Nick. Not only was his chess coach a wonderful mentor for him, he also taught Nick how to be a leader and supervisor. For three years, til he got a paying job as an assistant chess coach, Nick worked with Mr. Cooper and learned the important workplace skills of showing up on time, conversing politely even when you don’t feel like it, and managing others – in this case, kindergartners to 8th graders, not a particularly easy workforce.

When he was 14, he also worked for my friend Necia, building her small business a data base of clients and contacts. Three afternoons a week that summer, he walked to her home-based business a half mile away and got to work. What he didn’t know, though, was that I had asked Necia to let him work for her because I knew she would be a good mentor for him, that he would learn about the world in a safe, organized way with her.

Don’t feel badly about intervening in your teen’s vocational life. There is a lot of competition for jobs right now, and our kids need to be part of a team – even if they don’t think they do. Sign them up for Vocational Rehabilitation services too because the VR counselors will then be a part of your team, which gives you a bit of a breather. Remember, the type of skills it takes to get a job do not come naturally to our teens. That’s why the unemployment and underemployment rate for people on the spectrum is about 92 percent.

So get your team together and remember you are not alone. There are lots of us out there doing behind the scenes coaching with our kids. Just keep the end goal in mind and plug away.

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