Autistic children learn to use many assistive strategies in therapy and school, but they have trouble performing these tasks outside of the places they learn them. It can be incredibly helpful for parents to incorporate the things autistic children learn at home. Having them perform these activities at home helps them adjust to having these habits in new surroundings. Parents should observe therapy appointments or communicate with the therapist so that they can encourage children to do the activities at home.
Assistive Technologies that can be used at home:
One example of an assistive technology that parents can use at home is a visual chart of activities that are to be performed in a day. It can include activities such as nap time, chores time, homework time, etc. The visual images help children with autism pay attention to the activities. Colorful images help to capture their attention.
Another example of an assistive technology that parents can supply to children is computers or iPads. There are so many possibilities of games and apps that can help autistic children learn to communicate better. “Communicate Easy” is an app that allows parents to take pictures of household items or activities. Children can then click on the picture to hear the name of the item, or parents can make visual picture charts quickly and effectively. Below the App Icon is pictured.
Autism and Technology 