El Paso ISD looks to technology to teach students with autis

isd’s technology initiative, where students are getting access to laptops, e-textbooks and tablets. abc-7’s ashlie rodriguez reports episd is the only school district offering innovative technology programs to to special ed students, specifically those with autism. it’s a story you see only on abc-7 autism is a group of developmental disabilities that can cause social, communication and behavioral challenges. the cdc says 1 in 68 american children are autistic, which is a ten-fold increase in 40 years. autistic students number in the hundreds at el paso’s three largest school districts . yes its very expensive. sometimes it impacts what we do and how we do it. educating students with autism requires individually tailored programs based on where the student falls on the spectrum of characteristics — ranging from mild to severe. while some students only require some social counseling, others are completely non-verbal, requiring anything from physical, speech and occupational therapy, and a behavior analyst. episd is learning these kids can also benefit from technology, since many are visual thinkers, or non verbal finding it easier to associate words with pictures. then there’s austime, an app episd uses that students, teachers and parents access on smartphones and tablets. it allows the student to visually see their day’s schedule, keeping them in a routine. sometimes we think is so easy to go into a cafeteria, but there’s so many stimulants going on in there it kind of keeps them in check, they can know what’s happening next. its really really exciting, it kind of ties into innovative technology ar/abc7 episd couldn’t specify how much it costs to educate autistic students. but says the state’s funding formula is really really exciting, it kind of ties into innovative technology ar/abc7 episd couldn’t specify how much it costs to educate autistic students. but says the state’s funding formula is based on how many hours of specialized services a student requires. county commissioners today