OUR WORK | Autism

Autism, Communication and Technology
(ACT) Project (2005-09)

The Autism, Communication and Technology Project was initiated at Spaulding Youth Center in 2005 to research whether the use of interactive whiteboards could be used to improve communication and engage students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder or neurological disorders.

As the field of education experiences an exponential increase in students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, a new and effective model for instructing students was called for in the ACT Project. Interactive whiteboards have revolutionized how teachers engaged and taught autistic students in group instruction at Spaulding Youth Center, a residential special education school in New Hampshire. This technology has offered new opportunities for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other neurological impairments to demonstrate spontaneous social learning and increased on-task classroom behaviors.

After four years as Project Director, the results are nothing short of remarkable. A transformation of both the teachers and learners has occurred. Autistic students for the first time learned in group instruction in a proactive learning environment where they used tools to learn communication and language skills and appropriate classroom behaviors. The SMART Interactive Whiteboard became the tool for expressing what they knew and what they wanted to tell others. This technology became “Their Voice”.

Inquiries on this project are welcomed by parents and organizations that want to transform the educational environment for autistic children.

Autism and Technology Project (2009 – 2011)

The Autism and Technology Project at Timberlane School District was designed based upon the ACT Model as outlined above. In this project, the goal is to create universally-designed ASD classrooms across all grade levels. Each classroom located at two elementary schools, a middle school and a high school, Smart Interactive Whiteboards were installed along with a set of recommended software to support the learning environments were the ASD students are taught.

In the second year of the project, teachers are designing lessons using online tools and Smart Notebook lessons to engage their students in literacy and math activities. Each teacher is designing a Moodle site to support their instruction and to support the learning of students with a set of resources, online sites and templates.