Abstract
Studies to date regarding students with autism using technology have predominantly been focused on communication skills, use of assistive technology, video modeling, and voice recognition. Although some work has been done regarding instruction with tablet technology, most has been limited in study duration and participant numbers. This study expanded on previous research that showed encouraging outcomes when using mobile technology to assist with communication and academics. The researcher used a case study design to investigate the use of iPad® technology in self-contained classrooms for 19 students with autism spectrum disorders who received academic instruction from January through May of the 2014/2015 school year using the iPads® for a variety of content areas that support English language arts skills. The researcher incorporated qualitative case study data from interviews designed to measure experience and satisfaction of the teachers, paraprofessionals, and students in using this technology, and also quantified changes during instruction for on task performance and task completion, as well as academic achievement. The objective was to determine empirically if this instructional method would improve time-on-task and task completion, as well as determining if there were any concurrent academic gains, and thus inform teachers about effective instructional strategies for students with autism. Results showed improvement in time-on-task for 75 percent of the student participants.