• University of Bath

SMART-ASD: Matching Autistic People with Technology Resources

Determining the most appropriate technological resources for children with autism and/or intellectual (learning) disabilities.

6,838 enrolled on this course

Young autistic man with tablet leaning against wall
  • Duration

    4 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours

Most children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) also have an Intellectual Disability (ID) – or Learning Difficulty. However, this group is hugely under-represented within research and knowledge regarding this specific group can be hard to find.

On this course you will get more of an understanding of ASD and ID specifically. Then we will explore how technology can be used to best support this group, introducing you to the SMART-ASD app that identifies the skills and needs of children with ASD and ID so that the most suitable technologies can be identified to support them.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 17 seconds There’s now a wealth of digital technology available to support people with autism and intellectual or learning disability. But as a practitioner or parent of a child with autism and intellectual disability, how do you choose which are the best and most well suited of these technologies to support your child? What capabilities will your child need to get the best out of them? And what benefits can you expect to see? In this short, free online course, an international team of experts in autism, intellectual disability and technology assembled from Universities of Valencia, Necmettin Erbakan and Bath, will help you answer these questions. We’ve developed a wide variety of accessible resources, including films, articles, apps and activities designed to meet your particular needs.

Skip to 1 minute and 5 seconds From a clear understanding of the basic concepts through to a detailed exploration of more complex issues and technologies, the choice is yours. Alongside a wide range of discussions and presentations, both embedded in the course and in online interactions with other learners, we’ll focus on the new SMART-ASD mobile app, a free tool for Android and iPad tablets, and show you how you can use it to assess your child’s capabilities and strengths. We’ll share good practice based on cutting edge research, and also consider various hardware and software solutions, while looking at some of the challenges that digital technologies can present. Our team has worked together to deliver a course which is informative, accessible and fun.

Skip to 1 minute and 49 seconds So join us for four weeks of thought provoking and engaging discussions and activities designed to expand your knowledge and to further enhance the support you provide.

What topics will you cover?

  • What is ASD and Intellectual (or learning) Disability (ID)?
  • How can technology best support children with ASD and ID?
  • How to choose the most appropriate technology to support children with ASD and ID.
  • SMART-ASD: Matching autistic people with technology – how recommendations can be made, specific to each child.

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explore the nature of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID)
  • Discuss how technology can best support children with ASD/ID
  • Identify the most appropriate technology to support children with ASD/ID
  • Assess the needs of children with ASD/ID using the SMART-ASD app

Who is the course for?

The course is perfect for parents, carers and practitioners. You do not need any prior experience of this subject. This course is aimed at all those interested in finding out more about autism and intellectual (or learning) disability in children, and how technology can support them.

SMART-ASD is funded by ERASMUS+ (2015-1-ES01-KA201-015946). The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Who will you learn with?

I am a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Centre for Applied Autism Research (CAAR) in the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath in the UK.

Hi there! I'm Jiedi Lei - a PhD student at Centre for Applied Autism Research. I will be taking you along the MOOC for the next four weeks.

Who developed the course?

University of Bath

The University of Bath is one of the UK’s leading universities both in terms of research and our reputation for excellence in teaching, learning and graduate prospects.

Endorsers and supporters

funded by

Erasmus+ Co-funder

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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