New to List; wondering about computer instruction

[Guest guest]

I just decided yesterday to announce my retirement, even though

I would still have 5 years left to teach part time. I had the worst

classical resurgence of my Chronic Fatigue symptoms as I have

had in three years, all the way up to the return of Fibromyalgia,

and rhinovirus infections. Most troubling is the day to day

fluctuations in the skill with which I can structure lectures.

I score a 3.5 on the list, with ADD, Autism, CFIDS, and a

good start towards Alzheimers. The Autism is the Aspergers

flavor. But keeping busy (hopping from one interest to another,

with zero organization) and joining a listserv on my doctor's

advice when I complained about fibromyalgia has kept me

productive.

I do computer recycling to schools and individuals, and I have

been thinking about the suggestion in Dr. G's latest notes, about

developing computer programs which could help unlock the

doors. It has occurred to me that if youngsters had matching

computers and software at home to what they have in the special

ed classroom, they could continue the school efforts at home.

I am not at all trained in special ed, and know little about what

might constitute an effective communication and social

interaction strategy for getting kids to work through their

computers, both at home and at school. I bet there are some

special ed teachers or parents who have thought about this. Dr.

G. is right: This should be one easy avenue to opening up social

interactions for autistic kids.

For example, I could imagine a story book, page to page web

site, where some of the illustrations would allow kids to alter the

color or clothes or shapes in the accompanying image, and then

" send " their changed story to other kids in their group who could

change things in turn. Similarly, some of the changes could be

about what the characters in the story have " picked up " or

hidden, following the theory of mind sorts of notions, so

classmates would have to guess correctly to get on screen

praise.

It seems some programming could take advantage of the

embedded figures skills, and also encourage visual memory

skills. Another possibility would be for kids to assemble a

sequence of cartoon boxes with choices of spoken words, for

which the creator would be inclined to find words and pictures in

sequence which made sense to other kids.

I do know that there are ample used computers available which

could be replaced if broken, and could connect kids to each

other in an extension of the classroom setting to home. There is

plenty of programming talent to devise effective tools for various

ages, and ease of substituting imagery specific to any teacher's

class, classroom, and kids' self chosen interests.

Who else has thought about this?

Gene Schmidt

sdale Community College

Abyte Recylcing

Phoenix. AZ