Computer Assisted Technology

Studies involving computer assisted instruction and students with ASD are not a recent field of research, with the first such published studies appearing in the literature more than forty years ago (Colby, 1973). Since this time, new advances in technology have provided

opportunities for many students with developmental disorders such as those with ASD to utilise this mode of instruction to support the development of knowledge and skills. The use of

technology-based interventions appears to provide the systematic instruction that is required for students with ASD (Lang, Regester, Rispoli, Pimentel, & Camargo, 2010).

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Knight et al. (2013) conducted a comprehensive review of literature published between 1993 and 2012, in order to evaluate which technology-based interventions could be considered as evidence-based in teaching academic skills to individuals with ASD. Single-subject research and group experimental design studies were examined. From a total of 25 studies meeting inclusion criteria, only three single-subject and none of the group experimental design studies could demonstrate meeting quality indicators, as stated by Gersten, Fuchs, Compton, Coyne,

Greenwood, and Innocenti (2005) and Horner, Carr, Halle, McGee, Odom, and Wolery (2005), to guide the quality of research in the field of special education. While acknowledging that there were some weaknesses in the design of the 25 studies reviewed, Knight et al. (2013) concluded that the use of technology to teach academic skills should be incorporated into a program of student instruction. They argued that the quality of some studies meant that practitioners need to be cautious concerning some findings until such time as more studies meeting quality indicators, such as those stated by Gersten et al. (2005) and Horner et al. (2005), are added to the research base.

Looking specifically at technology and reading for students with HFASD, Armstrong and Hughes (2012) implemented a single subject intervention design that investigated the impact of repeated reading interventions using computers and storybooks on the comprehension of five students identified as HFASD. The five participants were selected on the basis of their strong lexical and cognitive skills. The intervention involved independent ‘read-aloud’ and ‘read-along’ strategies as both of these evidence-based strategies have shown to increase word accuracy, expression and comprehension abilities (Meyer & Felton, 1999; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000; Therrien, 2004). The intervention involved 20 sessions

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in total with comprehension scores charted daily in order to identify trends. The data showed that three of the five participants produced higher than expected results on comprehension questions during each intervention. The remaining two showed no significant changes in

comprehension levels. Armstrong and Hughes (2012) noted that the three participants who made the most gains in comprehension had shown higher working memory results in baseline subtests involving number repetition, digit span forward and backward, and sequencing. These

participants had also demonstrated higher levels of expressive and receptive language in baseline testing. Armstrong and Hughes also varied how the intervention was delivered as all participants had engaged in different delivery modes of the repeated reading intervention (computer and storybook) in a randomised format. They could not identify if it was the randomised format that made a difference in the participants results, however, suggested that it was the students’

readiness to respond to the intervention that was a critical factor. In conclusion, they argued that more research was needed regarding comprehension strategies, technology and students with HFASD.

With the introduction of new mobile technologies into mainstream and special education, research is now emerging on the use of related touch screen devices such as the iPod, iPhone or iPad in intervention studies in the field of developmental disorders (Kagohara et al., 2013; Stephenson & Limbrick, 2013). Kagohara et al. (2013) conducted a systematic review of empirical studies that involved interventions designed to increase academic, communication, social, and other adaptive behaviours using these new mobile devices. The majority of the 15 studies that were identified involved students diagnosed with ASD and severe intellectual disability, however, only one study examined the use of an iPad for teaching academic skills.

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This study involved two children diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and used a video modelling approach to teach the students how to use the spell-check function of a word processor (Kagohara, Sigafoos, Achmadi, van der Meer, O'Reilly, & Lancioni, 2012). The results of the 15 identified studies were mostly positive and support the potential value of incorporating these types of technology as genuine learning aids for

individuals with developmental disorders. Even so, Kagohara et al. (2013) highlighted that existing literature had involved in most cases a small number of participants, and note that there had not yet appeared to be any studies indicating that iPad-based Apps have actually resulted in improved academic outcomes in critical curriculum based areas such as literacy. This reported deficit in the literature as identified by Kagohara et al. (2013), is important to acknowledge and certainly argues for the need for more research involving iPads, reading comprehension and students with ASD and HFASD.

More recently, van der Meer et al., (2015) used App software as an intervention to conduct an experimental design study for a male participant aged 10 years diagnosed with ASD and highly impaired communication. The study measured improvements in picture/word

matching activities on the iPad. A multiple baseline across matching tasks design was used with a sequence of phases: baseline, intervention, follow-up, and random order. The results extend previous research with iPads and Apps such as Kagohara et al. (2012). The van der Meer et al., study also employed strategies using graduated guidance and differential reinforcement (Duker, Didden, & Sigafoos, 2004) to improve the student’s picture/word matching skills. The positive results of this intervention have further reinforced the potential benefits for the use of mobile technology in educating students with ASD. Even though the study did not investigate whether

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the participant was able to generalise the learned skills and apply them to novel picture/words, van der Meer et al. (2015) proposed that this may have been possible, taking into account the measured improvements which resulted in a higher level of correct responses. To date, studies have shown that the use of iPads can teach discrete academic skills (in this instance word and picture matching). The question then is, can iPads move beyond teaching discrete academic skills to support more complex literacy tasks for students with ASD and HFASD, including the demonstration of measurable gains? It is this question that is at the core of this thesis.