A tutor asked the other day what Tablet PC might work best for a student with autism to use while attending a regular class. Wow, that brought back memories. In my second year of teaching, i had a fifth grader that fit the same description. I didn’t know enough then to treat him any differently from any of the other 35 students in the room.
I checked with Lora, then we suggested the tutor should look at the Lenovo Thinkpad x60 Tablet PC. It has an option for a “multitouch” display. When the pen is in range you can write, or if the pen is out of range you can point and touch with your finger. Lenovo also offers a carry case that slings over the shoulder and has extra protection. This might be good for a student carrying the Tablet around. Plus, Lenovo has an aggressive support for use of their Tablets in schools. That should be of special interest to teachers.
A second option we suggested is a TabletKiosk eo. It’s smaller and lighter to tote around, with the touch and pen functions, if ultra mobility helps a student.
The school should pay for the Tablet when educators include it in the student’s Individualized Education Plan.
What Tablet would you have suggested the tutor consider for this student?
I’m impressed that your school district would pay for it!Best wishes
Excuse me, but what has anything of this to do with autism?
The response addresses autism indirectly by accepting it as a diagnostic descriptor.Tablets and other mobile PCs are the focus of the question and the response. I understood the tutor asked what Tablet PC might be used with a student with autism. My response makes no assumptions about autism beyond that teachers work with student learning patterns. My response also assumes that with a mobile PC, as with any other instructional tool, each teacher uses techniques to assist each student, regardless of diagnosis, to use the tool in order to increase learning rates.
I have some colleagues that work with autistic students in an inclusive setting. The school is technology themed, and the students have HP tc4200 tablet pcs. I’ve heard mixed responses regarding the use of tabs with students diagnosed with autism. The one issue, is that as a result of their disability, they can become fixated on the pc, and block out the rest of classroom environment, often missing the teaching. But, this is not true for all students, I am just commenting on the experience of some individuals, this not meant to be a general statement about students with autism and pcs. I think the positive of this is that students with autism can learn more a pcs, which could lead to various career opportunities in technology.If your student has fine motor issues, you may want to enlarge all of the icons to help the student access the programs on the computer.Thanks,Ryanwww.teachersusingtechnology.com
Thanks, Ryan, for passing along what you’ve heard colleagues say about students with autism using Tablet PCs. I agree with you that many, if not all, of these students can learn with a Tablet. What have you heard about how IEP teams include Tablets in their formal paperwork?