How Computers Can Help an Individual With Autism

8/3/2019 How Computers Can Help an Individual With Autism

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For the record, Autreach is a loose

network of like minded autistic activists

here in the UK and abroad with ongoing

connection and sharing of views.

Autreach IT is my bit of this network

- a social enterprise offering IT services

run by autistic people for the autistic

people who need them most

see www.autreachit.co.ukfor more1


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Why has Information Technology

including Internet become a Human

Rights issue?

United Nations has declared it a human rights

violation to withhold Internet accesswww.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/06/internet-a-

human-right/

see also the Cisco Connected World Technology

Report (CCWTR)www.cisco.com/assets/sol/ent/business_trend/bor

derless/ccwtr/CCWTR-infographic.html

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UN

Article 21: - Freedom of expression and opinion,and access to information

States Parties shall take all appropriatemeasures to ensure that persons with disabilitiescan exercise the right to freedom of expressionand opinion, including the freedom to seek,receive and impart information and ideas on anequal basis with others and through all forms ofcommunication of their choice, as defined inarticle 2 of the present Convention, including by:

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Much legislative support from both

this and the previous government

Valuing people now (DOH 2009) Addressingthe issues for people with complex needs is

really about embedding the principles of

personalisation within all aspects of planning,commissioning and delivery of supportservices. It is also about recognising that thevery particular support needs of an individual

will mean very individualised supportpackages, including systems for facilitating

meaningful two-way communication.

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Award .D. (2009) Ratification of the UNCRPD: United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.Raidiowaveshttps://www.radiowaves.co.uk/story/ 43493/title/ratificationoftheuncrpdunitednationsconventionontherightsofpersonswithdisabilites Accessed 9/10/2011

Blackstone .S. (1992) Rethinking the basics.Augmentative Communication News 5(3)

Care Services improvement partnership (2007) Safeguarding Adults with Learning Disabilitieshttp://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CF0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.hull.ac.uk%2Ffass%2Fpdf%2FSafeguarding%2520Adults%2520Report.pdf&ei=k7eRTtOuFIi1hAfJ653rDw&usg=AFQjCNG_P2Evzq0lsoW4CDjRZB1xR1N_tA&sig2=-WpBkulyenT3j9ZST8uh7QAccessed 9/10/2011

Department of Health (2010) Equality and excellence: Liberating the NHS. Department of Healthhttp://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_117353 Accessed9/10/2011

Department of Health (2009) Valuing people now: a new three-year strategy for people with learning disabilities Making ithappen for everyonehttp://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_093377 Accessed9/10/2011

Department of Health (2007) Services for people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour or mental healthneeds http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_080129Accessed 9/10/2011

Office of the Communication Champion (2010) Augmentative and alternative communication: a report on provision forchildren and young people in England, September 2010http://www.herefordshirelink.org/files/downloads/page/2010/12/augmentative_and_alternative_communication_a_rep_17952.doc Accessed 9/10/2011

NHS Choices (2010) Specialised Services National Definitions Set. NHS Choiceshttp://www.specialisedservices.nhs.uk/documents/index/document_category_id:26

United Nations (2006) United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitieshttp://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/conventionfull.shtmlAccessed 9/10/2011

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Why?and Why it specially matters if

speech is too challenging.

Not being able to speak does not

mean not being able to think, or

contribute, or enjoy oneself

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Not being able to speak does not

mean not being able to think,

see Richard Mills Introduction to this talk for

some of the evidence

also please see

www.scientificamerican.com/article....al-of-

autistic-kids

and www.autismandcomputing.org.uk

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Background understanding ofautism in this talk

in autism there is a different distribution of processing

resource N such that switching from one interest to anotheris painful/ shocking or at least challenging - the steeper theattention tunnel formation tends to be, the harder it is toshift processing resource to a new focus and the harder it isto handle sudden extraneous events. In our view this

pattern, with intensive deep absorption and potential superlevels of local processing activity alternating with confusionand perhaps cognitive defeat, underlies the social issues inautism and the linguistic ones as well as the often foundsensory and coordination challenges. This is based on the

interest model of mind I proposed in my PhD Language andInterests (UCL 1986) which makes sense of a wide range ofresearch results re cognition and perception across thewhole spectrum of humanity.

please see www.autismandcomputing.org.uk for varied

supporting arguments 8


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Why does anyone like IT?

it spares so much effort

it gives so many opportunities to

develop and exchange ideas

its pace, and its time and place in our

lives can be controlled

it makes communication so easy 9


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Why do autistic people like IT?

it spares so much effort

it gives so many opportunities to develop andexchange ideas

its pace and its time and place in our lives can becontrolled

it makes communication so easy

PLUS

communica

tion is the key tounblocking issues with society

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IT plus Internet = Access

Access to

current culture: arts, sports, politics encyclopaedic information

communication family, friends; key people,

bureaucrats, MPs, social workers, etc

social networks

armchair commerce

bargains

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poor people worldwide benefit most

education

opportunity

scope

connection

employment

most autistic adults are poor

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Why does anyone like touch screen

handheld devices?

all the above PLUS

portable

personal

intimate

immediate

shareable

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Why do autistic people like touch

screen handheld devices?

As above, very keenly felt

AND

communication is the key to unblocking

issues with society

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Why do people who dont use speech like

these devices?

Possibly all the above PLUS

Voice Output Communication Aids - VOCAs

non-speech options

creativity, play, music, video

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http://carlysvoice.com/ - changing the world of autism

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http://carlysvoice.com/

Carlys Voice changing the world of autism

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Why people say they need these

devices

on tap entertainment

on tap connection with friends, family, and the

levers of power on tap sharing and communicating with

people near and far

on tap recording video, audio

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why people who dont speak need

these devices

all the above PLUS

equal footing, well, relatively equal

communication potential not speaking doesnot mean not having something to say!

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Some of Drew Goldsmiths videos

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfOgXSCNp-g

http://vimeo.com/20504935

www.pbs.org/pov/voicescape/2011/drew-morton-goldsmith-middleton-wis.php

SEE ALSO for more by Drew and several otherswww.modelaircraftmuseum.com/apps/videos/s

how/12786381-something-about-us

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Being treated as an equal

texts

emails

voice output communication aids

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The Alternative:

typically, people who dont speak

are meagrely entertained are minimally connected with others

have little to share

have no means of communicating effectively have no access to the levers of power

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Individually they tend to be seen as idiots

collectively they tend to be= seen as disposable: allcost no benefit

https://ballastexistenz.wordpress.com/

commercially they are seen as both a source of fundsand a drain on those funds sometimes a spectaculardrain!

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sanctions?

Few and rarely enforced legal penalties for failure

Costly alternatives of angry and unfulfilled

people

see NAO 2009 report

www.nao.org.uk/publications/0809/autism.aspx

and Knapp 2007

www.autismspeaks.org.uk/document_downloads/Reports/economic_costs_of_autism_knapp_rom

eo_beecham.pdf

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cost in cash

two staff for every outing

secure setting

over all high staffing levels

replacement of materials

staff turnover

empty beds

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cost in Quality of Life

exclusion

depersonalisation

stupefaction

neglect

abuse

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what could the benefits be?

a sense of personal efficacy

opportunities for creativity and play27


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a sense of personal efficacy

freedom from boredomopportunities for creativity

and play

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what could the benefits be?

opportunities for discovery and lifelong

learning

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recognition as a real person, who can be

understood

ability to be socially useful30


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.capacity to join the ongoingdiscussions that constantlyreshape the social world

.chances to connect with otherpeople on an equal footing

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service providers have the satisfaction of

doing their jobs properly

personal emotional rewards of seeing peoplefulfilled and engaged with evidently valuable

concerns and projects

save money

everyone will be happier?32


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excerpt from CBS 60 minutes

Autism Apps

produced by Karen Sughrue

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Thanks due

Too many to say but, specifically for this talk

Wendy Keay Bright for Reactickles and Somantics

clips www.reactickles.org& www.somantics.org

Saskia Baron for getting us the CBC Apps DVD

Charlotte Stace for research, advice and feedback to

for a small grant and much support to Autreach IT

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How Computers Can Help an Individual With Autism