Education Friday iPad Talk Part 2

More talk about using the iPad for communication with our kids

(many thanks to my friends for letting me share their conversation)

RITE With any device, I always remind parents to make sure there are experience sharing options there - they won't use them if they don't have them. 

Newer iPod and iPad options open a whole new world to our kids. One word comments should be available. Even stuff like, "Wow!" and "Crap!" or whatever you say when you stub your toe.

BRITE 

The problem with having a lot of phrases on there, is that my boy pushes them to just hear the sound. He stims on it a lot and in different ways. Any suggestions? I have a feeling that until he learns the phrases, he will do that.

RITE 

Do you use it to call them to dinner or to interact/turn take?  I don't know if I'd discourage the stimming because I agree with you - it may be the way he processes it until it becomes a part of his vocabulary. I do think I would sit down with it and use it instead of talking sometimes, to model using it - in a fun way.

LITE 

Every one i've see start with ipad starts with one phrase like "i want" with just a few items to choose from and when the child becomes comfortable with that, you add more options and then folders (like eat or drink with items within folders). then you can break the phrase into words, so "i" and then "want" or "see" with categories under there. you have to start out small and slow, let the child be successful and motivated and build up.

BRITE 

I think that is what we were doing wrong. We want to get him a new one, but I'm not sure how that is going to work with school if they are training on PECS.

LITE 

The key is to start small, create opportunities for success, build from there. I know for my son, he cannot start with a visually overwhelming field. Even when making choices. We started with one card, moved to two, then three, etc. now he can scan a larger field.

 RITE 
I would add the suggestion of using the iPad with him. Every family I've seen has been taught to use it one-sided, where the parent or teacher talks and the child uses the device. Paula Kluth suggests in a gen-ed classroom setting, to bring in the device, or several of them, and allow the class to communicate with them, play with them, interact with them, a few days before you introduce one to the child w/ autism. Normalize it. Show the gen ed peers how it works and encourage them to engage in back-and-forth with it with the child w/ autism. Here's a link to Kluth's discussion
on how to best use assistive technology in the classroom.
 

BRITE
What should I do if he mishandles the iPad. LIke, if he puts it in the floor and jumps on it. Do you take it away?

LITE 

wow - good question. we have ours in an otterbox, so pretty well protected. mason does not use his for communication at this point. his desire to verbalize overrides the ipad usage - he was just evaluated at school, though, and i'm hoping he qualifies - i'd like him to have the option since his articulation is so bad. we use his solely for reinforcement. it has been thrown in the toilet and tossed several times, still going. BUT - it doesn't get beat up daily.

BRITE 

You can insure an iPad. I wasn't sure about taking it away. I've been told not to take PECS away because it is their voice. Just wondering if the same rule applies to iPad.

LITE 

I really don't know the answer to this. i wish i did - my immediate reaction, if there was purposeful trying to damage, would be to take it away. i probably would react the same way with PECS. i wouldn't keep it away, but it would be my immediate response until the consequence was understood. but that may be wrong.

Next week, an SLP joins the conversation.