10 Tech Resources for the Autism Community

 

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• Talking Tom Cat

  Tom is a talking cat who responds to touch and repeats everything users say in a funny voice.

  For World Autism Awareness Day, users can download a free "Autism Speaks" blue hat and shirt for the character. Physical T-shirts are also available from their global webstore.

• 

  Proloquo2Go

  For those who have difficulty speaking or cannot speak at all, Proloquo2Go is a go-to app with natural sounding text-to-speech voices.

  The app for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad costs $189.99 and users can type on screen or press symbols to generate words and sentences.

• 

  Emma’s Hope Book -- Ariane Zurcher

  Named number one on ShareCare's Top 10 Social HealthMakers in Autism, Ariane Zurcher is an author, jewelry designer andHuffington Post contributor who documents her daughter’s journey with autism.

  Check out her blog, Emma's Hope Book.

• 

  Toca House

  To help kids learn how to do chores, Toca House takes users through a household with five friends and 19 different mini-games.

  The game, which costs $2.99, is free on April 2.

• 

  Stories2Learn

  Stories2Learn is useful for students with autism or Asperger's syndrom. By creating personalized stories that demonstrate visual cues, the app helps teach social messages.

  Users can add their own audio and dialogue for each photo.

• 

  Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism

  As writer and editor of Thinking Person's Guide to Autism, Shannon Des Roches Rosa gives an online platform for people with autism, professionals and parents to share their experiences.

  The site accepts submissions and also provides resources for autism news.

• 

  Verbally

  Verbally is another Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) app for the iPad. Users can tap on words to have the device speak and help carry on a conversation.

• 

  Social Skills

  Parents and educators can use six social narratives designed to help individuals improve their social ability.

  The stories target key areas such as attention, non-verbal communication, greetings and turn taking. Users can also modify narratives by adding different photos, text and audio.

• 

  Autism College

  After her son Jeremy, who has an autism spectrum disorder, graduated high school and entered college, Chantal Sicile-Kira founded the Autism College blog to educate others about the disorder and give parenting tips.

  The site offers interactive courses for parents new to the world of autism as well as for parents and educators of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. It also offers lectures and parent coaching.

• 

  Draw and Tell

  Draw and Tell is a program with narration that allows children to color, add stickers, and incorporate their own voice recordings into their stories.

  Children with autism will be able to communicate through art and stories.

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BY CAMILLE BAUTISTAAPR 02, 2013

April 2 marks World Autism Awareness Day, continuing into Autism Awareness Month. Research shows that early intervention and technologies can significantly help children with autism, helping to enhance communication and social skills.

iPads are essential tools for such therapy with apps and online resources encouraging independence, allowing kids to express their desires and better connect with others. One in 50 school-aged children in the U.S. are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, a 72% increase from 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

iOS devices and other digital tools have significantly impacted developmental interactions in children with autism, says Joanne Lara, founder and president of Autism Movement Therapy. Most kids are automatically drawn to the computer, but those with autism often take to the devices because of the focus provided — they may not be as confused by where to look, as compared with other environments.

"Children with autism can communicate in amazing ways through iPads, they say amazing things that otherwise we'd have no way of knowing their thought process," Lara tells Mashable. "It gives those with limited communication skills a platform to let us know not just his wants and needs, but who he is."

Augmentative and Alternative Communication apps like Proloquo2Golet users tap symbols or icons to produce speech. Others, like Social Skills, help children learn to express emotions and understand what others are feeling.

Personalized tools aren't the only valuable resources. In time for World Autism Awareness Day, interactive Q&A platform ShareCare released its top 10 autism bloggers who lead online conversations with shared advice, tips and and support for the disorder.

We've gathered recommended apps and resources for Autism Awareness Month. Check out the gallery above and let us know if you know of any other useful apps or tools.

Image courtesy of Flickr, 

5 Autism Simulations to Help You Experience Sensory Overload

 

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In this May 16, 2013 photo, Cristian Vazquez covers his ears during class at the Dora Alonso school in Havana, Cuba. Six-year-old Vazquez was diagnosed with autism in 2008 and began attending this special school that caters to the education of children with autism.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) describes a complex group of brain development disorders characterized by difficulties in social interaction, communication and behavior. Often diagnosed at a young age, approximately one in 68 American children is on the autism spectrum. It's a figure 10 times higher than 40 years ago, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Because ASD can vary widely, it's frequently misunderstood, and attitudes toward autism can be misguided. In addition to the many resources geared toward neurotypical people, such associal networks for parents and organizations like Autism Speaks, many autistic individuals and even game developers have created virtual simulations that render common experiences for people with autism — hypersensitivity to sights and sounds among them.

"Increased sensitivity and decreased sensitivity both are common in ASD," Dr. Paul Wang, head of medical research at Autism Speaks, tells Mashable. "In fact, one of the changes in the DSM-5 criteria for ASD is recognition of these issues as a core part of autism."

Wang says these sensory challenges can be very impairing, turning a normally comfortable environment into a struggle for individuals with ASD. The severity of discomfort can range widely: Anything from the cuffs of one's short-sleeve shirt to loud noises to perceptions many of us experience without thinking twice can cause distress.

"It is hard to appreciate what it is like to be in the shoes of someone with ASD," Wang says. "To the extent that these simulations can illustrate how noxious sensory stimulation can be for individuals with ASD, they may help the general population to better understand the difficulty of living with ASD."

Noted autism activist and animal science expert Temple Grandin famously said, "I am different, not less." During Autism Awareness Month, the following simulations help to further that understanding.

Note: Those with epilepsy or who are prone to seizures should not watch these videos. Viewers should also be prepared for increased volumes, which are intended to simulate the intense auditory stimulation associated with ASD.

• 1. Playground

  During Vancouver's Hacking Health weekend hackathon in 2013, Taylan Kadayifcioglu and his team created Auti-sim, an unsettling first-person game that allows the player to experience hypersensitivity. Auti-sim features layered, deafening shrieks from faceless children and fuzzy visuals, causing the player to retreat in order to see and hear clearly.

  Kadayifcioglu was inspired by other sensory simulations he found on YouTube.

  VIDEO: YOUTUBE, 

• 2. Watching a Movie

  YouTube user WeirdGirlCyndi, an autistic adult who was "sick of so-called 'experts' trying to explain what they think an autistic person is going through," created this simulation in order to set the record straight.

  She takes a scene from 1986'sTransformers and distorts the sound and picture to simulate sensory overload. "Eventually I won't be able to process the movie at all," she writes in the video. "I'll see it, but I won't remember it."

  VIDEO: YOUTUBE, 

• 3. Shopping at Walmart

  This simulation is an excerpt from the user's 56-minute documentary, Inside Autism. She takes the viewer on a trip to Walmart, and simulates sensory overload on what she calls a "bad day." The camera becomes pixelated and the noise level increases drastically.

  VIDEO: YOUTUBE, 

• 4. Walking Down the Street

  In this simulation, you'll see the contrast between walking on a sidewalk as a neurotypical person and as an autistic person. Similar to the previous video, sounds become amplified and jumbled, while the lighting gets much brighter.

  VIDEO: YOUTUBE, 

• 5. Sitting in a Coffee Shop

  This video is based on an excerpt fromCarly's Voice: Breaking Through Autism, written by a 17-year-old girl living with non-verbal autism. The simulation shows how even getting a cup of coffee with family can be difficult and anxiety-producing.

  VIDEO: YOUTUBE, 

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Microsoft wants to hire more people with autism

 

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Microsoft on Monday announced a pilot program to hire workers with autism.

The company is working with an organization called Specialisterne, which helps create and find jobs for autistic workers. Microsoft will focus on filling full-time positions at its headquarters in Redmond, Washington. The news comes just after World Autism Awareness Day, which was last Thursday.

Microsoft has been "committed to enabling people with disabilities to be successful for a long time," said Mary Ellen Smith, Microsoft's corporate vice president for operations. In a blog poston the company's site, Smith noted that her 19-year-old son Shawn was diagnosed with autism when he was 4 years old.

"Microsoft is stronger when we expand opportunity and we have a diverse workforce that represents our customers. People with autism bring strengths that we need at Microsoft," Smith wrote. "Each individual is different, some have amazing ability to retain information, think at a level of detail and depth or excel in math or code. It’s a talent pool that we want to continue to bring to Microsoft."

Smith did not specify how many workers would be hired under the program.

Other software companies have also recognized that people with autism can bring special skills to the workforce. SAPannounced a similar program in conjunction with Specialisterne in 2013.

In a recent study, Microsoft's workforce efforts earned it recognition for being among the top-ranked diverse companies.

Candidates interested in Microsoft's pilot program can email resumes to msautism@microsoft.com.

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