Nonverbal children with autism learn to speak later than previously thought

Credit: CBS News

Using an iPad to develop speaking skills in older children with autism enabled the children to use more words and phrases, according to research from Vanderbilt University.  

All of the children involved in the research learned new words.  In addition, several children were able to speak short phrases. The children, between the ages of five and eight, developed more speaking skills using an iPad than any other device.  Previous research indicated that children who did not speak by age five or six were unlikely to develop new speaking skills.

Dr. Ann Kaiser, Ph.D., explained why the iPad is better than other speech devices, “When we say a word it sounds a little different every time, and words blend together and take on slightly different acoustic characteristics in different contexts. Every time the iPad says a word, it sounds exactly the same, which is important for children with autism, who generally need things to be as consistent as possible.”

Kaiser is doing more research on the use of iPads with children who have autism.

Study Information:

• Autism Speaks #5666: “Characterizing Cognition in Nonverbal Individuals with Autism” Clinical Trials Number NCT01013545 (Connie Kasari, UCLA; Ann Kaiser, Vanderbilt)

• NIH HD073975: “Adaptive Interventions for Minimally Verbal Children with ASD in the Community” (Connie Kasari, UCLA; Ann Kaiser, Vanderbilt)

©Mary M Conneely T/A Advocacy in Action