Importance of Computer-Aided Education for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Education materials such as computers, tablets etc. used in the education of normally developing children starting from pre-school, are also used in the education of the children with special needs, albeit inadequately. Computer-aided education has a significant potential in terms of increasing the educational experiences and facilitating the education of the children with special needs. Despite its limited use in our country, the said technology, which has been used in the western world for a long time, has become a tool that supports the academic skills of the individuals with special needs as well as facilitating their daily lives. In this study, literature related to the children/youth diagnosed with ASD were scanned and information has been compiled in such subjects; “the targets set to develop the skills of children/youth diagnosed with ASD through the usage of technology-aided education and the results, thereof, achieved; the content of the programmes that were applied and the differences between desk-based and computer-based education. Even though all the studies were case studies, the outcome shows that technology supported education brings out a more positive development. While obtaining information through the scanning of the said literature, face-to-face interviews were held and relevant questions were asked to the professional staff who work in the field of special education and deal with the children diagnosed with ASD in the TRNC, with the aim of finding out their perspective vis-a-vis the technology aided education of the children/youth diagnosed with ASD. This study aims to provide information, to parents and to experts who work in the domain of special education and to shed a light to researchers who will engage in future, more detailed studies.