Giving Children with Autism a Voice

Rose Mason, a graduate student,
helps a child communicate with an
iPad.

One in 88 children is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder by age 8, according to a recent study by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention – a rate that has risen far above the 2006 estimate of one in 110.
Studies indicate that more than 60 percent of these children are unable to communicate their wants, needs and thoughts verbally.
“Delays in or lack of language development are a primary characteristic of autism,” said Jennifer Ganz, associate professor of special education at Texas A&M University. “Teachers, families and researchers face the challenge of determining which teaching strategies are most effective and efficient in addressing these communication deficits.”