It turns out that the iPad is not just good for consuming media for the average person—parents of autistic children are finding it has a considerable impact on their childrens’ communication patterns and abilities. Shannon Des Roches Rosa, the mother of an autistic 9-year-old, has written a blog post documenting how an iPad she won in a raffle is proving to be a great tool for bringing out greater independence and new skills in her son Leo.
After Leo spent five minutes with his iPad, I realized that any assumptions I had about it being merely a bigger or a more breakable iPod touch were idiotic. It’s a tough little device. And for Leo, the larger scale of the iPad makes everything he wants to interact with just the right size, and therefore totally accessible. He may have a hard time writing on paper or typing on a computer keyboard, but he is a world-class iPad swiper and tapper, and his excellent visual memory means he can use that swiping and tapping to navigate between apps and videos with precision.
She talks about his use of various apps including drawing, AAC (augmentative and alternative communication, for people who have trouble talking), and visual scheduling tools, and provides a list of links to other articles about autistic kids using iPads and other such devices.
“I don’t usually dabble in miracle-speak, but I may erect a tiny altar to Steve Jobs in the corner of our living room,” writes Des Roches Rosa. It appears the iPad is revolutionizing a lot more than just the e-book industry.
