Autism spectrum disorders in the era of mobile technologies: Impact on caregivers

Abstract

Objective: This paper explores possible connections among existing literature on parental stress, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and use of mobile technology for persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: A narrative review of the literature. Results: Parental support contributes to positive outcomes for children who use AAC. Parents identify communication as a high priority, but describe the process as challenging. AAC is often used with children with ASD, a population in which parental stress is especially high. Though there is research evidence that mobile technology is a promising tool for individuals with ASD, potentially misleading media anecdotes exist, and the effects on parental expectations and stress remain unstudied questions. Conclusion: Increased understanding of the connections in these research areas should help clarify the potential impact of mobile technologies on parental stress level, help to define appropriate future research directions, and contribute to development of appropriate caregiver training.

• AAC
• autism
• mobile technology
• parents
• stress

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge Ralf Schlosser for comments on an earlier version of this manuscript, an anonymous reviewer for helpful suggestions, and Marjorie Nicholas for insights that helped define the topic.