Helping Kids with Asperger’s Syndrome Learn and Become Integrated Members of the Classroom with the Help of Technology.

Using Enhanced Learning to Teach Children with Asperger’s Syndrome in the Irish Mainstream Classroom – Are We Missing Something? By Marianne Roche

This paper looks at the beneficial role of technology (focusing on computers) in helping children with Asperger’s Syndrome to learn more effectively. It discusses benefits computers can offer such as increasing students’ motivation to learn and improving outcomes through the use of games using repetition in particular. It concentrates mainly on the ways in which technology can aid in developing children with AS’s social skills with the use of avatars and video technology, teaching children to recognise facial expressions and developing their conversational skills in a controlled environment. Using computers for group work is also discussed as an effective method for allowing children who would normally struggle with working with their peers to engage successfully in collaborative tasks. 

This is an Irish paper published in 2009, and while the author emphasises the multiple benefits of technology use for kids with AS, she laments the fact that such learning methods are not being implemented across Ireland due to lack of policy and teacher training. 

The issue of teacher training and funding is obviously critically important. Whether ICT can be used to effectively enhance learning for children with special needs is irrelevant if teachers have insufficient skills, and specialised ICT resources are lacking. My investigation into the funding for training and equipment provided by the government in Australia has been somewhat frustrating. While increasing technology’s role in mainstream education has been greatly emphasised and funded recently, there isn’t much mention of technology resources dedicated to special needs students. Special needs education funding seems to be seen as a separate issue, and it is difficult to ascertain what proportion of funds is being directed towards ICTs for these students.

Roche, M. (2009). Using Technology Enhanced Learning to Teach Children with Asperger's Syndrome in the Irish Mainstream Classroom - Are We Missing Something? Retrieved from http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:iE75TKJhfXUJ:scholar.google.com/+marianne+roche&hl=en&as_sdt=2000