Reflections of Assistive Technologies

        In Josh’s story, a story about an autistic young boy who was initially diagnosed as non-verbal, the AT tool that was highlighted was the Bookworm.  This tool is an interactive learning technology that works for many different books.  It is used by having the reader touch certain keys that read the book out loud, as the reader uses it more and more they begin to catch on and can start to say the phrases of the book before the Bookworm actually reads them.   
        Before Josh started using this technology he would just randomly flip from page to page, couldn’t read the actual words, didn’t initiate eye contact with the teacher, and couldn’t be productive in a typical preschool environment with other students.  That soon changed after a few weeks using the Bookworm and with the help of his teacher.  Over the course of just a few days Josh was making eye contact as he read, would read the sentences of the book out loud with the Bookworm, and was able to respond to the teachers questions as well as make eye contact.
       Eventually Josh was able to go through a book, point at the picture as he was reading the sentence and was even able to do this with a table of other classmates, all without the assistance of the Bookworm.  This just goes to show how with the use of the Assisted Technology Bookworm, Josh was able to pick up on reading very quickly and was now not non-verbal as he was initially diagnosed.  Without the Bookworm technology it is very possible Josh wouldn’t have developed an interest in reading and would have continued to struggle.