Autism+Spectrum+Disorder+and+Skype

Autism is a mental condition characterized by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people and in using language and abstract concepts (Google, 2016). Imagine these social barriers up against the world of social media- social media sites demand participation in dialogue and maintaining online relationships to remain connected. Educators might be apprehensive about letting students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) dive into the use of social media as a learning tool. Based on the outcomes of some recent studies- maybe we //should//.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have been tinkering with the idea of using 'video modeling and prompting' VIA Skype to supplement Applied Behavior Analysis(ABA) - one of the best methods of treating people on with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This entails asking children with autism personal identification questions, such as, //Where do you live? How old are you? or Do you have any pets?// Evidence suggest a marked improvement in student's ability to answer these questions with the integration of desktop video conferencing in ABA therapy ( Stoeklen, 2010). Additionally, parents of children with ASD are provided video coaching through Skype where ABA therapists model therapy techniques for parents to use at home. One study also showed use of video chatting services like Skype can help children on the spectrum practice paying attention to social cues and remain focused on who they are speaking to (Mokashi, Sanika). When used by a teacher or similar professional, students were able to participate in activities that would have otherwise required physical interaction by making adjustments (Rather than using a toy truck, the teacher would alter the activity to be purely visual). Researchers have also been able to use eye tracking software and Skype to better determine how students on the spectrum interact with others and what might prompt students to look away (Tiffany L. Hutchins). The study seemed to suggest that emotional content in a conversation would cause students to look at the speaker's mouth, which would hurt their ability to pick up on cues such as expression with eyebrows. Such research can help us better understand ASD and potential ways to support students that might have been impossible without video chatting services.

This poses the question: What are the characteristics of this social media that make it an effective conduit of communication for children with ASD? The answer may reside in Hardware. Inanimate AV equipment provides a sense of space and security that face-to-face communication may leave up for interpretation. It offers users control of events. "join", "Hang up", commands are just a click away. It may offer students a way to communicate and contribute to conversations in the classroom that they may not have otherwise had.

 **Resources: **

Google: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=what%20is%20autism Stoeklen, Tanya: https://minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/68095    <span style="color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Tiffany L. Hutchins, Ashley Brien. **Conversational topic moderates social attention in autism spectrum disorder: Talking about emotions is like driving in a snowstorm**. //Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders//, 2016; 26: 99 DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2016.03.006 <span style="color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Reporting on above study: []
 * <span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Behind Paywall: **

Mokashi, Sanika. [] <span style="color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #007398; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,'Lucida Sans Unicode','Microsoft Sans Serif','Segoe UI Symbol',STIXGeneral,'Cambria Math','Arial Unicode MS',sans-serif;">