Tribune News Network
Doha
Technology plays a vital role in shaping the landscape of education – especially the case in teaching those with special educational needs, where it can enhance communication and open doors to knowledge for children.
This is why Renad Academy – a specialised school that is part of Qatar Foundation’s Pre-University Education – continues to integrate technology into the educational process within the classroom and focus on increasing the participation of parents in the learning process.
“Technology plays a vital role in enabling Renad Academy students to build bridges of communication with their community,” says Ajay Ramesh, Speech Language Pathologist at Renad Academy. “This technology has demonstrated the significant impact it can have on developing the communication and learning skills of students with autism.
“Augmentative and alternative communication devices have improved students’ learning experiences. By allowing them to express needs, understand instructions, and gain better control over their senses and emotions, these devices improve their participation in both classroom and community activities.”
Renad Academy uses a variety of devices, such as iPads and Chromebooks, as well as interactive boards to support the learning and communication process. The school also works with parents to ensure continuity of learning at home.
Boards with symbols or pictures that students can point to are used to support the communication process. The school also utilizes Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) books, containing images that students can use to construct sentences and communicate their needs. This is in addition to visual aids, such as visual timetables that are used to outline each day’s academic schedule.
“As parents, we work closely with the academy’s teachers to integrate technology into the educational process for our children,” said Hamda Al Hitmi, whose daughter, Maryam Al Khulaifi, is a student at Renad Academy. “Given that my daughter has speech challenges and uses limited words to express what she wants, she has benefited greatly.
“A large part of these techniques is using pictures to communicate effectively in the classroom. The speech pathologist discussed with me how Maryam uses these pictures and provided me with copies of them to continuously improve her communication skills.
“Over time, my daughter’s skills developed, and she began to benefit from more relevant applications. In general, we rely, in cooperation with the academy, on the alternative and augmentative communication system to help Maryam communicate better through devices and technologies that were evaluated by specialists at Renad Academy, which suits my child’s individual needs.”
Al Hitmi believes that technology is making a positive change to the lives of children with autism, and the pace of its usage will increase, advancing the sensory and communication skills of these children.
“It is important for us to give a voice to children who do not have the ability to speak, and we try as much as possible to provide them with the opportunity to express themselves. Technology can be our best means of achieving this.” she said.
According to Ramesh, the biggest impact that technology has made is in communication. “Tools like AAC devices and speech-generating apps can give a voice to children who are non-verbal or have limited speech, enabling them to express their needs and thoughts more effectively,” he said.
“Technology can provide personalised and adaptive learning experiences tailored to each child’s unique needs and abilities. Interactive technologies, such as Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (AR), can offer immersive learning experiences that can be particularly engaging for children with autism, helping them to understand complex concepts in a more concrete way.
“And technology can also assist in teaching life skills, such as time management, personal hygiene, and social interaction.”Experts and parents of students at QF’s Renad Academy talk about the positive impact of using technology in empowering their children
