iPad

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Autism Light Classic
Updated on March 21, 2012.

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Autism Light #59 is the iPad.

In Memory of Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

Steve Jobs and Apple Inc. created the iPad. It was first released on April 3, 2010.  The iPad is an Autism Light because of the amazing way it is being used as a resource to help people with autism learn, communicate, and have fun. It is also being used by parents and professionals to improve teaching of people with autism. This is the first time an inanimate object has been made an Autism Light.

The iPad is a tablet computer-like device that uses various Apps to do different functions. It requires the user to touch the screen to interact with programs. The iPad can access the Internet through WiFi and and a high end model can also access it without WiFi through the 3G network. In two years there are now hundreds of Apps for the iPad being created to help people with autism. The iPad is very portable and light weight and can be used for people with autism both in home and school environments.

New Versions of iPad: The second generation known as the iPad 2 was released on March 2, 2011 and the third generation known as the iPad 3 was released on March 16, 2012. The growing popularity of the iPad is reflected in the fact that in the first weekend of sales over 3 million iPad 3 devices were sold (Source).

The video below was produced by Apple Inc. and shows how the iPad is being used to specifically help those with autism.

There are hundreds of stories of how the iPad is being used for people with autism, because as Dr. Howard Shane said in the above video, the iPad is a game changer.  Here are links to three YouTube videos that feature families using the iPad to help their children with autism.

• This video demonstrates how the iPad is being used by a family to teach their autistic son Braden academics.
• This video is a news story of the great results that happened when an autistic boy named Coleman started using the iPad to communicate with his family.
• This video is a news story of the great results that happened when an autistic girl named Autumn started using the iPad.

Many leaders in the autism community have noticed the difference that the iPad is making for children with autism, including these three Autism Lights.

1. Gary James and his organization Apps for Children With Special Needs, specializes in demonstrating how the iPad Apps work. Gary James also has started programs where he is working on giving away an iPad to someone in each of the 50 states and to acquire 500 iPads for 100 schools. Gary James was Autism Light #55.
2. Curtis Maybin and his website, Autism News Wire, has a section devoted to news on the iPad. Curtis Maybin was Autism Light #51. 
3. Laura Shumaker wrote a very helpful blog post called iPad for Autism: Selecting the Best Apps. Laura Shumaker was Autism Light #40.

The following is a video by a mother of a child with autism reviewing some useful Apps that can be used with the iPad. 

Here are some resources for additional information on the iPad as it applies to autism.

• Is the iPad a 'Miracle Device' for Autism?
• The iPad: A Useful Tool for Autism
• Autism Speaks Autism Apps
• The iPad Provides a Voice to Children with Autism

Facebook:  You can follow the iPad page on Facebook and you may also find the iPad for Autism Facebook page to be helpful in keeping updated on how to use the iPad for autism. Wikipedia: You can also visit the iPad's Wikipedia page. Special thanks to Apple and Steve Jobs for creating the iPad. Autism Light was saddened along with the whole world to hear of the death of Steve Jobs, but there is a sense in which Steve Jobs will live on in the autism community through the iPad. For a list of iPad apps that have been featured by previous Autism Lights visit our Apps page at Autism Light. You may purchase the iPad from the Apple Store. Autism Light honors diverse heroes to the world of autism.

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This Autism Light post went into syndication at Autisable.