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Recently my fellow NAA NY Metro board friends (Kim Mack Rosenberg and Dara Berger) and I presented at the Apple Store in SoHo on “using the iPad to learn and communicate”. We also had Dr. Steven Blaustein and folks from AutisMate and Proloquo2go speak and share as well.
The feedback and turnout was amazing, indicating the real need for tools to help with communication for our non-verbal kids. Additionally there were many questions on how to best select apps along with how to finance and get coverage for the device/apps. I am blogging my presentation to get out some of the information to those who could not make it.
Apple was pleased with the turnout, saying they had never before overflowed the auditorium (300+) and asked us back. So expect some follow-ups to this in the future.
February 27, 2014 – SoHo NYC
My son, Alex is a non-verbal 15-year-old boy with autism. Alex presently attends public school here in Manhattan. He has used an iPad for well over 3 years now and favors the use of YouTube for entertainment and Proloquo2go, which is his primary means of communication. Tonight, I am going to share how this technology has helped Alex in the areas of frustration and independence. I’ll also discuss how you can have the government, in the form of the BOE (Board of Education) or Medicaid (waiver reimbursement) cover the cost of, what they call – a Dynamic Display Speech Generating Device. Yes that is what the iPad is referred to on an IEP. Only a government bureaucrat could turn “iPad” into “Dynamic Display Speech Generating Device”.
Frustration: Before the iPad came along, Alex had to rely on gestures, approximations and PECS images to communicate his needs and wants. As you can imagine, this is quite an inefficient means of communication and led to tremendous frustration for Alex and his caregivers. Especially when he was feeling ill, hungry, or if someone other than myself was with him. In these trying circumstances Alex would frequently melt down and even turn aggressive towards himself and or his caregiver as he became exasperated with his inability to convey his requirements.
Since getting his iPad, this has dissipated tremendously (I estimate at least 90%) as he can now communicate with ease to anyone his wants, needs, and feelings. Also, I and Alex’s caregivers, now realize just how much Alex truly understands, how great his receptive skills are, and how truly smart he is, and this is reflected in his greater level of confidence at home and in school.
Independence: Having an iPad has led to a measure of independence for Alex, as prior to, Alex needed others to help him be entertained when indoors, whether it was putting the TV on, loading videos, setting up computer games, etc. Now Alex can do all this himself on his iPad and he is motivated to do so thanks to the ease and logic of the device.
Alex over these three years has now become more communicative in general thanks to the success he now has in getting his points across. This has also led to his “sounds”, meaning his word approximations, to become gradually clearer, which is very exciting to me. In fact, earlier today, Alex was working with his speech therapist and he clearly enunciated “milk”, for almond milk, for the first time!
Coverage: Alex has his iPad and app paid for and covered via the BOE. He brings the device to school, home, wherever he needs it, so he has a consistent voice and access to his favorite programs. The way this works, is, you have your child evaluated to “confirm” they are non-verbal or would benefit from a device. Once this is confirmed, for example on a students IEP, then the BOE or Medicaid is required to cover the cost of the device and app.
To get a specific app or device (as there are options) you can have the child evaluated on the desired device/app. So in Alex’s case, I asked the BOE technology team test him on an iPad, he easily manipulated and maneuvered through the test, and now he has a free device. Which I should mention is replaced by the BOE whenever damaged, as has happened a couple of times in our case (a protective case is also available under this coverage as requested).
So if you are working with a child or have a child, who can benefit from this technology, check with your school/therapist/social worker on getting the device and apps covered. If you have questions on this, follow up during Q&A at the end of the presentation (we had many great questions on this, if you have a question, feel free to email or contact me through the information on this page at Psychology Today).
To conclude, the iPad has been a real game changer for us. It has given Alex a voice, and let myself and others know just how much he truly understands and provided him a measure of independence and confidence.
