Repurposing Consumer Technology to Enhance Communication & Learning for Individuals with Autism

Presented by Dr. Howard C. Shane, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Center for Communication Enhancement and the Autism Language Program at Boston Children’s Hospital
Sponsored by Monarch Center for Autism, STAR Autism Support, and VizZle

Watch the Recording

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In today’s society we are flooded with consumer products and technology. From smart watches to smart phones, tablets, intelligent assistants (e.g., Echo and Alexa), QR codes, and more—technology abounds! Because individuals with autism tend to have strong visual processing skills and show considerable interest in multimedia, media-based products have the potential to aid in learning and communication. Imagine being able to creatively repurpose such products to deliver just-in-time (JIT) content—precisely when the individual needs it. Such products can be transformative in the way individuals with autism communicate and learn, in less obtrusive and more socially acceptable ways.

Watch Dr. Howard Shane from Boston Children’s Hospital in this edWebinar and learn from his decades of experience and knowledge regarding how consumer technology can be repurposed to deliver just-in-time visual content to your students. Case examples are given. Educators, speech language pathologists, behavior specialists, other therapists, and administrators will benefit from watching this recorded event.

About the Presenter

Dr. Howard C. Shane, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Center for Communication Enhancement and the Autism Language Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, where he has worked for more than three decades. He has been associated with Monarch Center for Autism for more than a decade, assisting Monarch School with integrating technology and visual supports into the overall curriculum. He has designed more than a dozen computer applications used widely by individuals with disabilities and holds two U.S. patents. His technologies have led to the creation of three technology companies that create products for people with disabilities. Dr. Shane has received Honors of the Association Distinction and is a fellow of the American Speech and Hearing Association. He is the recipient of the Goldenson Award for Innovations in Technology from United Cerebral Palsy Association. Dr. Shane is the author of five books and has written numerous papers and chapters on severe speech impairment, lectured throughout the world on the topic, and produced numerous computer innovations enjoyed by persons with complex communication disorders. He’s been featured on 60 Minutes, Larry King Live, Dateline, 20/20, and Frontline.

Join the Teaching Students with Autism community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming webinars, view past webinars, take a quiz to receive a CE certificate for a past webinar, and access free resources.

Monarch Center for Autism, a division of Bellefaire JCB, is located in Cleveland, Ohio. Monarch offers a comprehensive array of programs and services for individuals ages three through adulthood with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Highlights, which incorporate Monarch’s visual language treatment model, include a preschool; day school for children, adolescents & young adults; transition education program; summer & extended school year programs; therapeutic residential treatment program; adult vocational & supported living programs; and community training.

STAR Autism Support (SAS) provides curriculum materials, workshops and training to school and agency staff who work with students with autism. Our mission is to help others successfully implement research-based applied behavior analysis (ABA) techniques. We want every child with autism to receive effective instruction!

VizZle provides a library of more than 14,000 lessons and the tools and media to customize them or create your own from scratch. The lessons can be tailored to any grade level, assigned to any student, and played on iPad or Android tablets, laptop or desktop computers. Data is tracked automatically. This award-winning software is developed collaboratively with educators.