In a world that is becoming increasingly fast-paced, it can be difficult for those suffering from disorders such as autism to keep up. As teaching is accelerated among young age groups, autistic children often find themselves left behind. With modern technology, however, many developments are being made to help these children in ways that would simply have been impossible a decade ago.
Take Infiteach, for example. Founded by Katie Hench and Christopher Flint, the Chicago-based social startup is working extensively on using tablet devices as a means of teaching autistic children. With their help, many children for whom learning was once a Sisyphean task can now participate in education in creative ways that approach them at their level.
How, one may ask, does such technology work?
Infiniteach’s app, Skill Champ, uses a variety of visual-based tools that allow children to learn new skills and make their way through daily life. Teachers and therapists can then use these tools in bite-sized steps repeated over time to teach skills to children with autism. As with any child (or adult, for that matter), an incentive is necessary to keep these children motivated. The app uses rewarding videos and custom themes to appeal to a child’s specific tastes, reinforcing their desire to learn more.
The bounds of innovation in the past years have produced more than entertainment and convenience. Startups such as Infiniteach are proof that modern devices can be used in creative ways to help integrate autistic children into the growing education scene of today.
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About the author
Stefan Still is currently studying creative writing at Knox College, alongside philosophy and computer science. He has worked on numerous writing projects across a wide variety of genres, and is enjoying dipping his feet into the world of creative nonfiction. In his spare time he enjoys playing jazz trumpet and reading fantasy novels.
