i-devices

With all the excitement surrounding Apple's launching of the iPad, it could have been easy to miss the obvious application of this technology for people with disabilities - especially autism. Many people with autism have some very sophisticated, but cumbersome devices that have a voice output. In addition to their unwieldiness, they are phenomenally expensive. this gives much pause to any parent or school district to move forward to purchase such a device. And knowing the chances of the device getting tossed, dropped, dipped would only make one hesitate more. To be sure, it is all of these factors that make the devices so heavy in the first place. They are very sturdy. But at $8,000, wouldn't it be worth exploring the much less expensive iPad, with its simple interface and (for this month of Autism Awareness) free apps to download created for people with autism.

If the sophistication put into the development of the devices designed by speech therapists with the complete understanding of language, the iPad would be incredibly useful to so many people.

Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month, and a time to think about how far we've come since the days of Bruno Bettleheim, and yet how far we have to go. The more people know, the more we will increase acceptance and inclusiveness of these people within our communities, which would be a boon to all of us.

At Morgan Autism Center, we are creating more awareness through collaborations with other entities. On April 17th, we are joining forces with Whole Foods in Campbell to promote awareness of healthy living and diet. Whole Foods offers 'food tours' for people interested in the Gluten-Free, Casein Free Diet. And on April 28th, we are combining our efforts with Montalvo Arts Center to showcase a special screening of the film Possibilities, Disabilities and the Arts, by Keri Bowers. After the film, we will have a performance by Nick Guzman, one of the performers featured in the film, and a panel discussion that I will be moderating. Here is the link: http://montalvoarts.org/events/autism_film/