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A novel educational environment for kids with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs), namely NOESIS, is presented in this paper. NOESIS takes into account ASD kids’ individual characteristics (level of autism, source sensitivity, reaction target, etc), their emotional state (stress level, hyper-/hypo-tension) during their educational procedure, and creativity during guided- and self-activity (e.g., gaming). It adapts to each kid’s specific characteristics through system adaptation and self-regulation procedures. Moreover, it provides assistance to the educator for preparation, customization and optimization of the educational material for each kid and provision of enhanced evaluation procedures (scores/tools) via well-managed Web Services. Parents’ updating is also provided via reporting material with learning curve descriptions. Overall, NOESIS contributes to the provision of opportunities to all ASD children to be educated by facilitating access and tuning innovative technology to social needs.

Education Today and Tomorrow

This video was created by Tom Woodward of Henri...

Education 2.0

For young children, programs that focus on sounds are successfully used for many autistic children. These programs teach phonics through songs and games. Some of the most highly acclaimed software programs include the following: • Sound Beginnings (1 and 2) – can be made voice-specific for every child and includes a headset so the child can “talk back” to the computer • Speaking for Myself – includes many graphics with words and sounds and also has options teaching Rebus and Makaton signs with videos • Musical Leaps and Bounds – teaches language nonverbally with the use of music Other programs for this pre-school age range help children begin to learn skills such as the alphabet, counting and simple math, and spatial relationships. Check out titles such as Kidspiration, Jemima, Touch It, and Thinkin' Things 1.

Children with autism seem to learn best when the instructional material is presented in visual form. In this case it might be worthwhile to try different educational programs via a computer. Using a computer is a fun way to learn. The majority of educational programs are highly visual. Many of the games available involve storylines, plots, and realistic human behaviors. Some of the skills autistic children can learn from carefully selected video games are language skills, reading and math skills, and social skills. Visual learning devices are highly effective and can be accompanied by various rewards to reinforce what is being learned. For instance, food and extended leisure activities can be used as rewards that will encourage the child to want to learn. In addition, the use of positive reinforcement will help develop a bond between student and teacher, and create a sense of trust that will help strengthen the learning environment. Social stories are another way to make learning fun for children with autism. Since one of the aspects of autism is the inability to interact normally in a social situation, social stories can be utilized in a variety of different ways in order to model appropriate behavior.

Technology Breakthrough in Communicating with Autistic ChildrenAuthor: mom_to_one, 05 16th, 2008 CALIFORNIA – New technologies are helping autistic children communicate like never before. At the Pacific Autism Center for Education in Santa Clara, each morning begins with a Power Point presentation, launching a day filled with technology and a new type of autism therapy. Two out of every three students at the center are non-verbal, but thanks to a voice output device 12-year-old Alex is able to get the snacks he craves. Malique also uses the device to “talk” for him. “The largest benefit is the ability to give them a voice, gives them a voice that offers a breadth of options and the third benefit is the social interactions that come from having the ability to speak,” explained the center’s Kurt Ohlfs. Technology also makes communicating less cumbersome. Imagine trying to carry around a book with pictures of everything you wanted to convey in a day. Now the students have all that information at their fingertips; 21-year-old Daniel is using a more advanced, hand held device that offers him a menu with hundreds of icon options. He selects the ones he wants and the computer talks in sentences, conveying his thoughts. “It’s amazing when we’ve given some of this technology to our students and it’s opened up that door and now the students are surprisingly prolific when it comes to expressing their thoughts,” said Ohlfs.

Children with autism are often visual learners. They often have poor fine motor skills, and writing is often a chore. Their math and language arts skills are often at different levels. They often learn routine social interaction behavior from observing others or through explicit instruction. Children with ASD need a highly structured education plan.  

Web 2.0 Is the Future of Education."

But if it's education you want, and you're at a computer, these sites are great places to start.

One of the strongest evidence-based practices is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which has over 20 years of research showing effectiveness for children with autism.It is important to note that when I say “ABA”, I am not speaking exclusively about Discrete Trial Training (DTT). Rather, I am talking about a very large field of science which focus on using the principles of behavior analysis to change behavior in order to make society a better place. This field is not specific to autism, in fact, many parenting books, marriage books, and addiction books focus on the principles of behavior analysis to help people. In autism, DTT is one type of ABA that has shown effectiveness. Other types of ABA, such as Pivotal Response Training (PRT) use more naturalistic teaching strategies and have also shown effectiveness for remediating certain symptoms of autism.

Improvements in users have included greater levels of engagement with other people, for example, improved communication with their peers. Teachers and parents have also noted that the children develop a better relationship with their school routine and improve their performance in mixed ability classes.

Starting work with your childIf you even suspect your child has Autism or ASD, you must begin work with him immediately. Do not waste vital time waiting for a formal Autism diagnosis. I met one mother who waited six months for a formal Autism diagnosis before beginning any treatment. Imagine how much she could have taught her child in that time. You will find out for yourself that most doctors know very little about Autism and will simply recommend speech therapy, special education or an early intervention center. The worst thing some doctors will do to a parent is to take away hope. You will acquire more information on Autism from other parents of children with Autism than you would from any general practitioner. As you work with your child and see the results, you will soon find other parents of newly-diagnosed children with Autism coming to you for advice. Start working with your child now, even if it means just trying to communicate with him through play. This time will never ever be wasted.

This was on my mind as I took the leap and created my Facebook profile. The blogs I keep allow me to have a minimal profile; I had the option to fill in a few more details on the personal profile I keep on Facebook. These are decisions that every educator using these technologies has to make.

"Participants also referenced the appropriateness of the content teachers provide. Typical responses included: 'Don't put anything about politics,' 'I wouldn't give out too much personal information or stuff you think your students might make fun of you about,' and 'Be cautious what people put on your wall. Know that your students can see it and be careful what perceptions you are giving'" (12).

Teachers giving computerized tests were unaware that students were instant-messaging one another across the room.

the school district chose to start an educational campaign. High school drama students created public service announcements that aired during morning announcements emphasizing the dangers of sharing private information online and the permanency of this information for college admissions counselors and future employers. Classes were offered for staff, parents, and the community, educating them on how kids are using technology and how they can talk to them. They saw immediate results; student postings online were suddenly more appropriate, teachers proactively worked to prevent misuse of technology, and parents and adults from the community attended classes and began discussing technology use with their children.

www.MediaWise.org (Dr. David Walsh)  www.WiredSafety.org -Parent Guide and contract www.NetSmartz.org- great student scenario videos www.InternetSuperHeros.org www.ConnectWithKids.com DVDs available www.Cyberbully.org www.TeenAngels.org   www.McGruff.org/ProblemSolver/webSafety.htm www.iKeepSafe.org  (Adventures of Faux Paw the Cat- good for younger kids)

The choice of activities and exercises, adapted to the level of acquisition and emerging abilities, will depend on the assessment. It is these exercises which will have to be integrated into a computer programme. A great many exercises, which are well adapted to the specificities of the autist's learning difficulties, already exist. Computerization of some of these exercises could be quite easily undertaken. One could also look at existing educational computer programmes for exercises, which although not specifically developed for autistic people, could very well be of an appropriate level and which do not, above all, present any disconcerting characteristics for autistic people. It is, moreover, in this category that the highest number of computer experiments may be found. Finally, teachers could also invent new exercises which make specific use of the progressive animation and integration capacities of several of the new tool's sensorial modes.

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