The culture and the use of technology with students with ASD

This study aimed at exploring the research literature on children and youth with ASD with the goal of establishing a solid knowledge-base on the a) prevalence of ASD, b) instructional needs of students with ASD, c) effective interventions for students with ASD (technology-focused and computer-based included), and d) the impact of parents' culture and teachers' role, preparation and training to meet different needs and cultural backgrounds of students with ASD toward the successful use of technology with students with ASD. A review of the literature is conducted to explore a wide range of issues concerning students with ASD. The findings showed that there are many effective interventions that can meet the needs of students with ASD, such as social stories, video modeling, and picture exchange communication system. The literature indicated that the field of studying the use of variety technologies with children with autism is still in its initial phase. Moreover, using portable electronic devices such as tablets and smartphones may also decrease a student's reliance on others and overcome the limitations of computer-based interventions.