The Parenting Challenge: Selecting Technology and Non-Technology Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Title	: The Parenting Challenge: Selecting Technology and Non-Technology Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Author Name	: Ennis-Cole, Cheryl Parkman
Synopsis	:
Autism is a Spectrum of Disorders (ASD) that affects 1 in 88 children.  The issues and decisions parents face are almost insurmountable depending on the child’s diagnosis, available interventions, the knowledge of parents, proximity to professionals and interventions, financial resources, and the individual needs of the child.  There is no cure for ASD; it persists over an individual’s lifetime.  As a result, the role of parents is expanded and direct caregiving, decision-making, and supervision continue into the child’s adult years.  Parents find themselves involved in advocacy, education, intervention planning, and technology selection and use.  Most parents actively seek interventions to help their children with ASD gain functional, behavioral, social, and academic skills.  Without supportive parents or caregivers, many children with ASD are unable to function independently, and the quality of their lives is greatly diminished.  This article describes technology uses in ASD and parental concerns.Findings from this descriptive study reveal the technologies parents are using, the needs and issues of families, and demographic data.   Participating families were recruited from online discussion groups and through the assistance of the Interactive Autism Network (IAN) Project at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland.

Vol. 6 No. 1

Year: 2012

Issue: May-July

Title: The Parenting Challenge: Selecting Technology and Non-Technology Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders 

Author Name: Ennis-Cole, Cheryl Parkman 

Synopsis: 

Autism is a Spectrum of Disorders (ASD) that affects 1 in 88 children.  The issues and decisions parents face are almost insurmountable depending on the child’s diagnosis, available interventions, the knowledge of parents, proximity to professionals and interventions, financial resources, and the individual needs of the child.  There is no cure for ASD; it persists over an individual’s lifetime.  As a result, the role of parents is expanded and direct caregiving, decision-making, and supervision continue into the child’s adult years.  Parents find themselves involved in advocacy, education, intervention planning, and technology selection and use.  Most parents actively seek interventions to help their children with ASD gain functional, behavioral, social, and academic skills.  Without supportive parents or caregivers, many children with ASD are unable to function independently, and the quality of their lives is greatly diminished.  This article describes technology uses in ASD and parental concerns.Findings from this descriptive study reveal the technologies parents are using, the needs and issues of families, and demographic data.   Participating families were recruited from online discussion groups and through the assistance of the Interactive Autism Network (IAN) Project at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland.