Office of Catholic Education

By Sue Brown, Director of Marketing and Community Relations

Students and teachers of St. Gemma Center for Autism have found high-tech help with their communication challenges thanks to the Foundation for the Special Education of Children. The board said a resounding “Yes!” to a recent grant proposal for iPads to use in their classroom.

St. Gemma Center for Autism serves a unique population of students in the Archdiocese of St. Louis with severe autism-spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities. Persons on the autism-spectrum typically experience serious challenges with communication which impact their academic learning and development of social skills, often resulting in emotional frustration and challenging behaviors. Oral and written expression and language development present particular difficulties for these students. However, some children who are non-verbal or have limited speaking skills communicate well in writing. Many are visual thinkers with strong technological and/or artistic skills. When engaged in a task and highly motivated, these children can achieve far more than previously anticipated.

Dr. Karen Tichy, Associate Superintendent for Instruction and Special Education in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, wrote the grant after seeing the research on the successful use of iPads in the instruction of children on the autism spectrum. The iPad’s touch screen and layout make it more accessible for children with coordination or learning difficulties, as they may find sliding and tapping easier than either typing or writing. Because it is very portable, the iPad can also be useful in calming and focusing active children. It can be used as a communication board or augmentative communication device, as well.

Cody, an 11-year-old student at St. Gemma for the last three years, can verify—literally and verbally—that the research is accurate! After experiencing difficulty with math computation, reading and writing skills, Cody experienced a breakthrough upon receiving his new iPad. Using a variety of applications designed especially for children with autism, Cody is now sounding out difficult words successfully, identifying sight words, writing sentences, adding and subtracting with ease. Cody’s teacher, Catherine Forder, says “From a teacher’s perspective, Cody’s iPad has given him a new way to look at learning. He is highly motivated by the game format used by the applications, as well as the instant feedback he receives. He is learning at a much faster pace, and the iPad is easy for him to use and understand.”

After a recent visit to St. Gemma at the students’ invitation to their Thanksgiving dinner, Dr. Tichy reported, “One of our boys, whom I have never heard speak in a complete sentence in the three plus years I have known him, fluently spoke several sentences as he eagerly showed me AND explained what he could do on the iPad!”

For more information about St. Gemma Center and the other special education schools and centers of the Department of Special Education, please contact Dr. Karen Tichy at 314-792-7320.