There are one in 100 Australians living on the spectrum, and with World Autism Awareness Day tomorrow, 2 April, we’ve put together a collection of educational resources for your smartphone or tablet.
These ebooks, audiobooks, apps, courses and podcasts explore different facets of the autism spectrum for parents, kids and students.
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Understanding Autism: The Essential Guide for ParentsA great reference for parents and carers of children with autism, written by Professor Katrina Williams and Professor Jacqueline Roberts — two leading experts in the field.
This eBook covers everything from the causes of autism to how it manifests at the various ages and stages of a child’s life, to diet and nutrition, the importance of self-care for parents, how to cope with common behaviours, conditions that can often appear in conjunction with autism (such as anxiety and depression), and how best to manage the transition to adulthood.
ASDetect
This free app by La Trobe University guides parents through assessments using a combination of videos and questions, as well as activities that you can do with your child. Once you have completed an assessment, you receive both an on-screen result of either “low” or “high” likelihood of autism, as well as a comprehensive formal assessment results email.
This video-led self-assessment app is based on comprehensive, rigorous, world-class research conducted at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre. The research underlying ASDetect is 81 per cent accurate in the early detection of autism and other related developmental conditions.
Inside Out: Emotions
In this self-paced course, students engage with emotional regulation learning activities through an exploration of the Pixar movie “Inside Out”. This course is focused on primary aged learning outcomes, with a view that the learning activities can be differentiated to further stage outcomes as needed.
Lesson activities make use of creative, visually driven iPad learning processes.
Living with Autism
How do autism spectrum disorders affect our lives, and what are the developments in diagnosis, treatment and causes?
This podcast is from The Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC) at La Trobe University.
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The Reason I Jump
An audiobook version of the #1 bestselling The Reason I Jump — written by Naoki Higashida — a thirteen year old boy. It provides a rare insight into the behaviour of autistic children.
Translated from the original Japanese to help others dealing with autism and generally illuminate a little-understood condition. It gives us an exceptional chance to enter the mind of another and see the world from a strange and fascinating perspective.
Aspect Practice Conversations
In this podcast by Autism Spectrum Australia, a range of experts in the field of autism are interviewed — with a particular focus on education and building supportive communities.
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Choiceworks
The Choiceworks app is a learning tool for helping children complete daily routines, understand and control their feelings, and improve their waiting skills.
Created with the support of leading hospitals and child development specialists, this app is designed for caregivers to provide clear and consistent support to foster a child’s independence, positive behavior, and emotional regulation at home and in the community. It can also be customised for teachers in a school setting.
It is important to remember that these resources are designed to supplement any advice from medical professionals, not replace it. Be sure to see your doctor if you have any concerns.