OCT 15, 2020

Letter From the CEO: How Emerging Technology Is Helping Children With Autism

In every area of life, technology is playing an increasingly important role. What’s more, in addition to our growing dependence on technology at work, at school, and at home, the technology we use on a daily basis seems to be changing and evolving faster than ever. For most of us, keeping up with the latest technological innovation might just mean downloading a new social networking app or playing around with fun new backgrounds to liven up a mundane meeting on Zoom, but for people in the autism community, staying on top of technological advances can be truly vital.

When it comes to supporting a child with ASD, technology can be life-changing. Increasingly, technology is being used to help children (and adults) with autism with everything from communication and socialization to education and independent living. The types of technology available to support people in the autism community range from well-established, low-tech devices like visual boards to apps and even speech devices that can quite literally give nonverbal individuals a voice. If that seems like a lot to process, don’t worry; this month’s newsletter includes, among other things, a handy guide to the ways technology can help people with autism, a highlight on the flexibility and accessibility of ABA through telehealth, and some of the most popular forms of technology-based assistance for ASD out there today.

We also spoke to Eileen Lamb, the incredible woman who runs The Autism Cafe, a blog, community, and all-around resource for parents of children with autism. In our Q&A with her, Eileen opened up about some of the ways technology (including online communities like hers) can help people in the autism community, how the internet has changed the access to information (and disinformation) about autism, and the technologies she’s found most helpful for her son, Charlie, who is nonverbal.

Each month, we’ll be sharing this newsletter with our staff and community to help keep you connected to all things Intercare. If you want more updates like this one delivered to your inbox, please subscribe to the newsletter and be sure to share with other members of the Intercare community.

I always welcome feedback and love hearing from you. If you want to reach out about the newsletter or any other Autism related matter, don’t hesitate to email me at arnon.heller@intercaretherapy.com.

Arnon "Noni" Heller Psy.D. CEO