Fostering Inclusion of Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders in Daily Settings Through Technological Supports

This chapter emphasizes a selective overview of the newest empirical contributions available in the literature within the last decade (i.e., 2008-2019) regarding the use of assistive technology for the inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in daily settings. According to the including and excluding criteria, 40 studies were retained and grouped in five main categories, namely (1) communication skills, (2) adaptive and/or social skills, (3) life skills, (4) challenging behaviors, and (5) academic performance. The first aim of the chapter was to outline strengths and weaknesses of the aforementioned studies. The second objective of the chapter was to provide some practical and illustrative examples of assistive technology-based programs aimed at the integration of children with ASD in daily settings. Finally, the third purpose was to discuss the findings pointing out some useful guidelines for future research and practice. Results were fairly positive, although some failure occurred. Clinical, educational, psychological, and rehabilitative implications were critically discussed.

Assistive Technology-Based Programs and Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions for Helping Adaptive Responding of Children and Adolescents With Rett Syndrome

This chapter provides the reader with a concise overview of the newest empirical evidences available on the use of assistive technology and cognitive behavioral interventions to promote adaptive skills and decrease challenging behaviors of children and adolescents with Rett syndrome and severe to profound developmental disabilities. Four main categories of studies were identified, namely (1) communication skills, (2) adaptive skills, (3) challenging behavior, and (4) on-task behavior. Twenty-six contributions were reviewed, and 936 participants were involved. Results were largely positive, although rare failures occurred. Educational, clinical, rehabilitative, and psychological implications of the findings were critically discussed. Some useful suggestions for future research and practice were emphasized.

The Role of Teaching Materials in Cognitive Development Focusing on the “Emergence of Symbolic Functioning” and Behaviour Issues

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the role of teaching materials focusing on the “Emergence of Symbolic Functioning” and latent behaviour issues. First, a literature review is performed on the behaviour issues associated with intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Three kinds of assessment tools used in this study are described with underlying developmental meanings. Especially, one of those tools, a teaching device named “Tamahimo” is introduced as a practical assessment tool to visualize participants' cognitive conditions. Three cases, two adolescents and one young adult with ID, are discussed, with their autism-like behaviours and characteristic cognitive profiles evaluated using the assessment tools. All cognitive development is judged as corresponding to the “Emergence of Symbolic Functioning,” that is, the qualitative transition phase from non-symbolic to the explicit existence of a symbolic functioning stage. Factors preventing social adaptation are discussed as they relate to unstable cognitive conditions.

Integrated Support of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Learning Disabilities

This chapter outlines the integrated approach to support children and young adults diagnosed with learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In this context, the authors, first, discuss the legislative background providing legal basis for the disability support in educational environments. They, further, address psychological and neurological aspects of learning disabilities and ASD diagnostics and consider how legislative and neurological issues influence special education methods, counseling, and instructional technology support. The educational tools addressed include mobile devices and applications, virtual reality, and robotics. The chapter concludes with a report on the development of college-level course in instructional technology, intended for technology facilitators and teachers working with the ASD students. The case study focuses primarily on the use of the affordable and popular LEGO robots. The holistic approach to support of those with disabilities, outlined in the chapter, combines educational leadership issues, psychological and job counseling, special education methods, and instructional technology.

Treating Stuttering in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

The number of case reports of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who stutter is increasing. The duration of intervention for stuttering in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often greater than for children who only stutter. Whether there is a similar pattern in children with ASD who stutter should also be examined. In this study, the factors influencing the prognoses of two children with stuttering and ASD were investigated. One child's stuttering had improved and had almost been eliminated, and the other's stuttering continued. The results of the investigation showed that a significant increase in language ability and the absence of physiological problems assisted in eliminating stuttering. The child who continued to stutter originally showed a higher than average language level and high anxiety. Preventing and eliminating anxiety that accompanies ASD, in addition to intervention for stuttering, may be indispensable to reduce stuttering and improve fluency.

School Activities for Autistic Children Using Newly Developed Software and Tools

Original teaching materials with dot codes were created for use with autistic children with intellectual and expressive language disabilities. One of the authors (S. I.) created “Post-it” sticker icons on which dot codes were printed and shared these with teachers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Each sticker icon was linked with up to four multimedia mediums of expression, such as a movie, in addition to up to four voices/sounds. Touching a dot code icon with a speaking-pen enables audios to be replayed, and touching a dot code icon with a dot-code reader with Bluetooth functionality enables multimedia to be replayed on iOS and Windows OS devices. New software to create self-made teaching materials with dot codes was developed by Gridmark Inc., with the help of author S. I. Basic information on creating original teaching materials using this newly developed software and its use in schools for students with ASD are presented in this chapter.

Longitudinal Study of Motor Coordination Development in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Few studies have longitudinally investigated the development of the motor function in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this chapter, the author investigated trends in how the development of motor coordination ability is closely related to motor functions in children with ASD. The participants were children enrolled in a special education school for persons with developmental disabilities in Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. Among them, the study targeted 35 children who took the Body Coordination Test (BCT) continuously for more than three years. Although there were individual differences, the average score on the BCT increased with age. In particular, children with ASD showed moderate development, even during adolescence, when typical children experienced the plateau effect. The results suggest that children with ASD have great educational potential in adolescence.

Statistical Perspectives and Machine Learning Algorithms

Autism unlike other diseases has peculiar symptoms and pre-causes. The symptoms and suspicions are found especially in newly born children, preterm born infants, and children below 12 years. These children have peculiar attributes such as inability to communicate with fellow children, poor speech ability, difficulty in dealing with daily routines and procedures and being oversensitive. This study correlates with the existing work on autism diagnosis techniques by using machine learning methodologies. It further provides the summary of the relevant techniques to validate the existence of autism disorder and strategies used for diagnosis. Various diagnostic methods include behavioural analysis, eye tracking, and neural or brain imaging. The key objective of the chapter is to assess and understand the preliminary causes of the autism spectrum disorder, including analyzing technological support that can be rendered for the early diagnosis of autism.

Humanoid Robot-Mediated Communication Teaching for Children With ASD

In special education, the use of tablet devices and personal computers has been practiced. The ease of access to ICT hardware and software for children with disabilities and their families is welcome in terms of increased learning opportunities and leisure options for children with developmental disabilities. In this chapter, the examples of children with ASD who have improved their communication skills through the use of some ICTs are presented. An ASD child who was overly afraid of talking to people and overly avoided failing in public were taught communication through programming into a humanoid robot. As a result, they used the robot as a step and eventually collaborated with friends to program a dance and presented the dance with the robot and classmate at a school festival. Finally, the effectiveness and challenges for the future use of ICT in teaching communication with ASD children were described.

Creating Inclusive Functional Content Using Dot-Codes

The purpose of this chapter is to assist educators in understanding how to create handmade content to support functional skills, following a multi-step recipe will serve as the example, while the application of dot codes can be applied to other content areas as well as support transfer of skills to the home environment. Students are using the speaking-pen in both the home and classroom conditions to support repeated trials in their natural environment. A succinct description of implementing dot-codes into the classroom to support functional skills specific to individuals with ASD will be shared. This chapter will focus on following a multi-step recipe; however, the implementation can be applied to multiple areas of functional instruction.