THE IMPACT OF USING ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY ON WRITING PRODUCTIVITY OF YOUNG WRITERS WITH AUTISM
Date
2013
Authors
Kenney, Susan Herlong
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Abstract
A single subject study with multiple baselines across participants was used to explore the effect of giving access to picture-to-text software for writing to young students, with moderate autism, and documented difficulties with written language. For this intervention study, three participants, who had strengths in visual processing and who were motivated by technology, responded to picture prompts by typing for three minutes under two conditions. During baseline participants were given a blank document with picture-to-text software and a bank of randomly positioned words below the writing area. For the intervention condition, the participants had access to a similar word bank with a picture above each word as well as word placement according to sentence structure, auditory feedback, and color cues. During the 21 writing sessions, scores earned for number of sentences written, percent of correct word sequences (CWS), and number of incorrect word sequences (IWS) was analyzed to determine significance between the baseline samples and samples generated using words with corresponding pictures. An assistive technology assessment, participant and parental surveys, scoring sheets, and fidelity checklists were used to gather additional information. Inter-rater reliability and fidelity of treatment were determined.
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Keywords
Special education, Educational technology, Assistive Technology, Autism, Picture-to-text software, Special Education, Writing