Autism and Technology: An Anecdote
This semester we read an article written by William Merrin, and in it he says, “the personal, digital, me-dia gadget realizes exactly this direction, holding us closing, travelling everywhere with us, integrating us more thoroughly than before.”(Merrin) The main theme of many articles we have read in this course are based around the progress of technology and the integration of it in our lives. This integration is often seen with a negative lens, with Merrin even stating, “...this is a world of public “zombies” cast into an electromagnetic sleep.”(Merrin) From government surveillance to hackers and trolls, the readings this semester have made us reflect on the more alarming aspects of technology. I chose to focus on a more positive topic, one that I believe doesn’t get enough attention.
The innovation of technology has positively impacted millions of people, particularly for people on the Autism spectrum. For many youth with Autism, technology appears to be really engaging (Keintz). Studies show that when given a choice, adolescents with Autism prefer using technology more than other social and leisure activities. (Odem) Whether a person on the spectrum is verbal or nonverbal, I have witness how important technology impacts people on the spectrum. In the case of my project, the forms of technology in which I speak about are broad. I chose to focus on interactive technology platforms such as personal computers, use of the web, and mobile devices.
One of the characteristics of people with Autism is that they have preoccupations with certain topics. My younger brother John was diagnosed with Autism as a toddler, and it just so happens that over the years his particular preoccupation has been with technology. John is 15 now, but I remember him being as young as 6 years old, asking every one of my friends that came over if he could play with their phone. Honestly, ever since I can remember, he has always been obsessed with gadgets, especially Apple products. For my final project I put together a short film on how John uses technology to ease some of the adversity he faces from being on the spectrum, particularly, how it eases both academic and communication difficulties he has faced. This film is a personal documentation on how my little brother integrates gadgetry (particularly, the iPhone) in his everyday living. Merrin may think that gadgets have transformed people into zombies, but for people on the spectrum, technology has given them the abilities, both human and technological, they never thought they could possess. So maybe if we are becoming gadgets, why should we make it seem like such a bad thing? For my project I had John read out a letter he wrote to technology, in which he shares his personal usage of technology. Hope you enjoy!
References
Keintz, J., Goodwin, M. S., Hayes, G., & Abowd, G. (2013). Interactive technologies for autism. In Synthesis Lectures on Assistive, Rehabilitative, and Health-Preserving Technologies (Vol. 2, Issue 2, pp. 1–177). Morgan & Claypool.
Merrin, W. (2014). The Rise of the Gadget and Hyperludic Me-dia. Cultural Politics an International Journal, 10(1), pp.1-20.
Odom, S., Thompson, J., Hedges, S., Boyd, B., Dykstra, J., Duda, M., Szidon, K., Smith, L. and Bord, A. (2014). Technology-Aided Interventions and Instruction for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(12), pp.3805-3819.