The Use of Mobile Technologies to Assist With Life Skills/Independence of Students With Moderate/Severe Intellectual Disability and/or Autism Spectrum Disorders: Considerations for the Future of School Psychology

Abstract

To successfully integrate technology into any educational program, practitioners need awareness of available technology, an understanding of how it can assist with instruction, knowledge of ways it can support day-to-day activities and, finally, the ability to teach students as well as educators to use the technology. The proliferation of advanced mobile technologies specifically targeting individuals with moderate to severe intellectual disability and/or autism spectrum disorder means increased access to new tools and a greater need for educational service providers to be trained and ready to identify, recommend and deploy appropriate supports. The rapid rate of change in the technology industry is a formidable barrier to adequately preparing anyone except a technology specialist to be current on the latest advances. This article presents recommendations for school psychologists in terms of becoming familiar with the generally available technologies and the underlying instructional techniques rather than any specific technology products. Complete familiarity with all emergent technologies is improbable but through understanding the general ways technology can be used and the basic instructional practices, school psychologists will be better equipped to recommend further exploration of technological solutions for students. C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.The emerging and widespread use of technology to support persons with disabilities is evident by the growing number of studies investigating the use of technology-based interventions (Goldsmith & LeBlanc, 2004), including mobile technologies (Mechling, 2011). Much of the most recent research on the use of such technology has focused on a heterogeneous group of students who have a diagnosis of moderate/severe intellectual disability (reflected by IQ scores below 50) and/or autism spectrum disorder (MSID/ASD). As technology begins to permeate educational programming, school psychology trainers and practitioners alike need to identify the most promising and helpful tools that can be deployed readily within classroom contexts to assist in supporting the education of students with MSID/ASD. Part of that process not only involves awareness of available technologies, but also awareness and understanding of the extant research literature that supports their use. As such, this article examines how technology, specifically mobile technologies, can be used to support and teach students with MSID/ASD to be more independent.The awareness and understanding of the use of mobile technologies for individuals with MSID/ASD has particular relevance to the field of school psychology, as practitioners increasingly have been called on to support the educational needs of students with low incidence disabilities (especially those with ASD; see Sansosti and Sansosti in this issue). Moreover, it is highly likely that parents and advocates frequently request the use of mobile technologies within school-based

Use of Augmented Reality with a Motion-Controlled Game Utilizing Alphabet Letters and Numbers to Improve Performance and Reaction Time Skills for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Although AR approaches offer potential in improvement of educational resourcing for people with ASD, significant challenges exist in terms of integrating technology into any educational program, maintaining knowledge about what technology is available and what evidence exists to support the use of that technology. 36 We conclude that the use of AR does have clinical utility and functional benefits for people with ASD. Furthermore, we note that the game using alphabetic letters and numbers (MoviLetrando), which encouraged participants with ASD to practice the task, promoted improvement with the practice, with further benefits in a reaction time test.…”

Effects of Sensorimotor Problems on the Performance of Activities of Daily Living in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Sensory processing and motor problems were adversely connected with independence in self-care. Intercessions intending to improve sensory processing and motor skills and self-governance in selfcare ought to wind up significant focuses for these children 24 . (Vanessa Hus Bal et al,.…”

Examining Self-Monitoring Interventions for Academic Support of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

“…Self-monitoring can be implemented using a variety of methods including those considered more traditional, such as a paper-based method, or another option such as the use of handheld devices including iPods or cell phones (Bedesem, 2012;Blood, Johnson, Ridenour, Simmons, & Couch, 2011). Literature is replete with examples of handheld devices such as iPods, iPads, and cell phones being used to help students in P-12 settings successfully self-monitor their behaviors (e.g., Ayres, Mechling, & Sansosti, 2013;Bedesem, 2012;Gulchak, 2008;Johnson, Blood, Freeman, & Simmons, 2013;Mechling, 2007). Handheld devices are portable, easy to use, socially acceptable, and students are motivated to use them (Bauer & Ulrich, 2002).…”