iPads give our children with Autism a creative voice

One of the most awesome things I have noticed in my Art room is how the iPad has impacted our kids with autism.

If art is the first voice of communication, then these kiddoes have a VOICE. This tool has helped with sensory issues (No messy hands! No weird smells! Nothing to eat!), student engagement (they are super excited to create!) and successful, creative, individualistic works of art.

Ryan LOVES using logos from his favorite TV shows. He uses them to develop movie trailers using iMovie. They are really funny. 

(oh and that crayon thingy is a stylus, which all the kids love to use. These are not expensive and I was able to get a class set   ^.^  yay!)

Natalia draws in creative, exciting ways I have never seen her do before the iPad option. She loves using the art app Drawing Pad. She draws super fast and I think the digital component keeps up with her fast creative thought process...please do not disturb her when she is creating! 

Mikayla prefers Toontastic. She creates these amazing "sticker people".  There is a lot of storytelling here. We love the 2 girls whispering. And lots of food, food, food!

She also loves the ColorBox HD and DoodleDandy apps.

She also designs her own tee shirts. She usually comes to school with one of her drawing taped to her shirt. How awesome is this?

The kids use these apps during their free time, or to help demonstrate a concept. They have to try the actual assignment before the iPad is used, although I really don't have an issue with them creating digital art---as long as the concepts/techniques/vocab are the same.

Natalia creating her Glue Batik...

Here the kids are using the iPads to take pictures of their Glue Batik. They also were "interviewed" by Mrs. Smith, their paraprofessional, about what they liked about the project.

The student engagement, the attention, the joy and excitement is beyond anything I have seen in the past!