Autism is a brain disorder that branches off from the more general Autism Spectrum
Disorder (ASD). Most researchers from respected universities have concluded that autism is
caused when the molecules in the synapses of an autistic person don’t function properly. Some of
the symptoms and effects of autism include intellectual disability, such as delay in social
development and attention keeping skills, difficulties in motor coordination and attention and
physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances. Nobody is sure about the
exact cause, but most researchers will agree that it could be influenced by timing of pregnancy,
the mother’s action, and timing of birth. These signs usually appear in children when they are
around 2-3 years old. Autism is rising very quickly, steeply rising 57% between 2002 and 2006.
Because of this, many researchers are searching for a way to help treat or cure this disorder in
children. Many different methods are being implemented, all of them showing results; both
positive and negative. Some of these treatments include Early Start Therapy and the Early Start
Denver model, which both aim to help children with certain disorders learn to develop skills,
make eye contact, communicate, and to behave. However, a new, more unlikely method is being
used by some parents. When the iPad came out, it received positive reviews from parents who
said the tablet helped their autistic children develop necessary skills that kids without the
disorder develop naturally. Many applications for the iPad are being created specifically for the
purpose of assisting children with this disorder, such as Proloquo2Go, one of the earliest iPad
apps to help this cause. Many researchers are...
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... devices, including the iPad. These studies provide a strong basis for what should be done to help
autistic children in the future.
Many different methods are being used to help treat children with autism. Certain drugs
are being developed, and certain methods are being used. Some methods, like Early Start
Therapy, are large and widespread programs that parents have to enroll their children in to in
order to help them. The iPad was a very unusual method when it was first discovered that it
could be used to help autistic children. However the appeal of the device, both to the children
using it and the developers themselves helped to boost the success of the tablet. Many
applications, or apps for short, have been made in order to assist children with autism and
Autism Spectrum Disorder. These applications target skills such as social skills, communication,
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disorder that affects a person’s social interaction and communication. This disorder is mainly characterized by having difficulty with social interaction, communication, and having restricted behaviors. Difficulty with social interaction means someone will struggle to communicate their feelings/emotions, understand how others feel or think, develop peer relationships, and understand nonverbal behaviors (eye gaze, facial expressions, etc). Difficulty with communication will vary among the individual. Some individuals will develop expressive language, while others will not. The speech of those that do develop expressive language will often be repetitive, rote, and lack meaning. They may struggle with turn taking in conversation and topic maintenance. Those individuals who do not develop expressive language typically do not use other modalities to communicate, like pointing or gestures. The last characteristic of the autistic spectrum disorder is having repetitive behaviors or activities. Typically children on the spectrum will play with their toys in an unusual manner, or may prefer only one toy, movie, or activity. Changes in daily schedule are hard for children on the spectrum to adapt to; usually these children like the same daily schedule. Bass, Duchowny, and Llabre (2009) state, “It is possible that animal-assisted activities provide a multisensory environment that will prove beneficial to children with profound social and communication deficits.”
Random mutations- genes that control brain development .Maternal infections that affect the developing fetus. Fetal stroke, a disruption of blood supply to the developing brain Lack of oxygen to the brain (asphyxia) related to diffic...
A preventive (family) therapy, on the other hand, must of necessity be a "positive" family therapy. It doesn't just look at the areas where there is a disorder; it also considers the capabilities that exist in the individual and in the family. In its original meaning the word positive (Latin positum) refers to the factual, the given. The "givens'' are not necessarily conflicts and disorders, but can also be the capabilities that each person carries within him. In therapy we are interested primarily in man's capacity for self-help and his ability to deal with
Office of Communications and Public Liaison. (2013, November 6). NIH. Retrieved from National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm#243513082
birth and it can even happen subsequently much later in the same year. Men were found to also
There is no known single cause of autism. Researchers are investigating a number of possible theories including genetics, heredity, medical problems, problems during pregnancy or delivery, as well as environmental influences. It is widely accepted that it is caused by abnormalities in the brain structure or function. There is evidence from neuropathological studies that autism has its origins in abnormal brain development early in prenatal life which continues postnatally, showing acceleration in brain growth measured by head circumference (Zwaigenbaum, L., Bryson, S., Rogers, T., Roberts, W., Brian, J., & Szatmari, P., 2005). The disorder also seems to have a genetic basis, although researchers have yet to find the specific genes that link to the onset of autism. There could be a cluster of genes that have somehow interfered with normal brain development and function. Studies show that twins of children with autism were more likely to be autistic themselves than the regular population, demonstrating there is a heredity lin...
Hafner, Katie. "Redefining Medicine with Apps and iPads." LexisNexis® Academic & Library Solutions. The New York Times, 9 Oct. 2012. Web. 05 Nov. 2013.
...eaches to answer questions; for example place a question and the student answers with a picture. The final phase is commenting. In this phase the child makes up sentences starting with “I”. Some other recent innovations used to help those with autism are apps online. One is the voice communicator which is a computerized PEC system. This app allows those with autism to choose words more easily and communicate more successfully.
...couch with the iPad on hand and starts opening New York Times online to read newest news. He creates a scenario that makes the viewers feel like they are home with that iPad in a weekend morning, using this product while reading favorite news. By making these stories in viewers’ heads, he delivers the advantages of that touch screen most efficiently and is capable to be the best salesman in Apple.
McClanahan , B., Williams, K., & Tate , S. (2012). A breakthrough for josh: How use of an ipad facilitated reading improvement. TechTrends, 56(3), 20-28. doi: 10.1007/s11528-012-0572-6
Assistive technology is often used by individuals with a learning disability. A learning disability “describes a neurobiological disorder in which a person’s brain works or is structured differently” (Lee1). A person’s abilities can be severely affected from a learning disability. They may listen differently, talk differently, write, spell, organize, and work with school subjects in a different way. Learning disabilities also affect people’s individual and personal lives to a great extent. According to the National Institutes of Health, one in seven children has a learning disability. The disability manifests itself when the child shows difficulty in reading, writing, spelling, and conversing with others. The added time they need to process information may make them seem less intelligent then others around them, but this is not the case. Individuals with learning disabilities are just as smart as anyone else; they just need to learn in a different way. The earlier a learning disability is noticed and detected, the earlier a child may be able to learn how to deal with or compensate for it (Lee 1). This is where assistive technology comes into play.
Wendy Keay-Bright and Imogen Howarth From the issue entitled "Special Issue on Autism and Technology" Personal and Ubiquitous Computing Volume 16, Number 2 (2012), 129-141, DOI: 10.1007/s00779-011-0381-5
Tyre, Peg. "Are IPads and Other Classroom Gadgets Really Helping Kids Learn?"TakePart. N.p., 31 Jan. 2013. Web. 18 Jan. 2014.
According to Vicki Cohen, people “typically are referred or come to therapy because they have symptoms”. These are defined by emotional, social, and physiological. Therapy is the most commonly used treatment for symptoms. A variety of therapy treatments are offered to patients based on their specific characteristics and what they feel comfortable with (“What Do”).... ...
Technology has made our lives more productive in many different ways. One of the greatest inventions is Apple’s products. It leads to an evolution of tablet devices. An iPad or iPhone can act as a textbook, laptop, navigation, camera, notebook, gaming devices and more. It combines all the other devices into one, which allows us to manage our time effectively.