Software program helps teach autistic children social and language skills

Parents and educators are constantly searching for ways to connect to those who suffer from autism. Individuals who suffer from this condition often have significant language difficulties and intellectual disabilities.

However, officials from the Henry County Public School system, located in Georgia, said that using iPads to help their students who suffer from autism, Martinsville Bulletin reports.

They added that the iPads are useful to autistic students who are not speaking yet or who may have difficulties constructing words or sentences. In some individuals, it has gotten them excited about talking.

“For our special education population, it has been a great tool to have in the classroom,” Bethany O’Connell, an autism services coordinator for Henry County Public Schools, told the news source.

The application called Proloquo2Go allows students to communicate by typing in text or using symbols that are translated to speech by the iPad. Other programs, such as those offered at boarding schools may help autistic children by proving them with cognitive therapy to improve their social skills.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1 in 110 children are diagnosed with autism each year.