Computers and Autistic Learners: An Evolving Technology

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Abstract
The purpose of this article is to describe a research and demonstration computer center for severely handicapped, autistic children located in a public school in New York City. Called STEPPE-Lab, the model classroom uses computers as an augmentative communication and instructional system. The article first reviews the keyboard, joystick, mouse, and drawing tablet as augmentative devices for helping communication-handicapped children interact more meaningfully with their environment. The article then discusses the lack of empirical software appropriate for this population, describes the software packages Program STEPPE has thus developed, notes the perceptual-motor skills the software emphasizes and the curriculum areas the programs embrace, sets forth the logic and requirements for evaluating the content validity of commercial software from an empirical perspective, and offers a set of guidelines for marshalling political support for computer demonstration centers. The article concludes by suggesting several research areas fertile for further investigation of the instructional role computers can play on behalf of severely handicapped, autistic learners.

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