Educational Materials and

Resources
Understanding Autism
CONTENT
1. Objectives

2. Introduction

3. What Can Be Done as Speech Therapists?

Professional as an Active Role in the Development and
Continuous Adaptation of Materials
4. List of Adapted Resources and Materials
What Should I Keep in Mind?
Brainstorming
5. Methods
Theoretical Approach to the Most Commonly Used Methods
Functionality. Comparative Table with the Exposed Methods
6. TEACHH Program
Educational Principles Based on this Method
Characteristics of Autism as a Basis for Structured Teaching
7. INMER Program
Fundamental Bases of the Program. Main Function
Virtual Reality Immersion System for People with Autism
CONTENT
8. ICT-Mediated Learning
Software to Teach Emotions
Applications that Favor Language Development
9. Materials Development
Sources Used
Image Banks
Banks of Pictograms
Recommended Materials
10. Free Resources to Support Learning
List of Reinforcement Pages with Programs to Reinforce
Learning
11. PCS
Access to the Pictographic Communication System
Methodology
Main Function
12. Implantation
Choosing the Right Program
List of Benefits and Disadvantages
13. Summary

14. Bibliography

Objectives
• To learn about the work carried out by speech-
language pathologists when faced with a diagnosis
of Autism Spectrum Disorder
• To analyze how resources and materials should be
chosen to intervene in ASD cases.
• To investigate in relation to the most used
intervention methods in ASD, comparing their
content.
• To establish the principles of action and
characteristics in ASD, based on the TEACCH
model.
• To investigate the most relevant elements of the
INMER program, taking into account its function
and its Virtual Reality system.
• To deepen in the learning of emotions and language
from ICT’s, aimed at the ASD group.
• To understand what process can be followed when
developing materials for intervention with ASD.
• To know some of the free resources that can be
accessed for intervention in ASD.
• To investigate the information related to the
elaboration and content of the Pictographic
Communication System.
• To learn how the chosen intervention programs or
plans are implemented, according to their strengths
and disadvantages.
Introduction
In this seventh topic, called “educational materials and
resources”, we will continue to analyze the variety of
interventions that can be carried out in relation to the
diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, but in this case,
we will focus on the field of speech therapy, investigating
how these professionals act in the improvement of skills
and developmental abilities of this group.
First of all, aspects related to the fundamental role that
speech therapists will play in relation to the improvement
of communication and linguistic skills of children with
ASD diagnosis will be discussed.
To this end, we will consider what elements, instruments
and tools are taken into account when elaborating
sessions, what interventions they consider most
appropriate to carry out, as well as the variety of
interventions that can be carried out in this field.
Next, we will address the knowledge regarding which
are some of the materials and resources, in a specific
way, when intervening with the ASD group, as well as the
way in which they are applied and in which situations it
is shown that it will be more necessary to carry them
out in order to develop certain skills and areas of
communication.
Educational Materials and Resources | 4
Similarly, it will be explained in a more concrete way,
what kind of methods or intervention models are more
recognized in the field of Speech Therapy, to intervene in
cases of autism spectrum disorder, making a theoretical
approach to different methods, explaining the
functionality of each one and preparing a comparative
table in which the specific details are analyzed.
On the other hand, information related to a model
already discussed in the field of ASD, the TEACCH
model, will be analyzed, making known, in this case, what
are the educational principles that are based on this
model of intervention, as well as what are some of the
characteristics of the group with ASD diagnosis, which
form the basis of structured teaching.
After this, a new intervention model will be discussed,
in this case the INMER program. We will explain its
implications in the Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as
its applications, from what scope it is carried out, how it
is structured, what its purpose is, etc.
In order to do so, among other elements, we will consider
which are its fundamental bases, focusing on the main
function for which it has been designed, in addition to
investigating a current intervention concept, the Virtual
Reality Immersion System for people with ASD
On the other hand, we will resume the deepening of one
of the most effective types of intervention for ASD cases,
referring in this case to Information and Communication
Technologies. In order to continue detailing which are
other of the most relevant intervention tools for this
group, specific attention will be paid to software designed
to teach emotions, as well as to applications that favor
language development.
Next, it will be shown what steps should be taken when
elaborating the different materials and resources that
will be useful to intervene in the improvement of skills
and abilities of the ASD group.
To this end, we will investigate the sources to which we
can turn to obtain information on which are the most
optimal and beneficial resources, which image and
pictogram banks are most useful for children’s learning,
as well as which materials are the most recommended
for carrying out different interventions.
Another relevant section to be dealt with will refer
to the choice of support models, aimed at the
ASD group, which can be accessed free of charge.
They will be shown in order to determine their
effectiveness and benefits in this group, as well as in their
circle, and the way in which they can be easily accessible,
not only for professionals, but also for the families of
these children, as well as for society as a whole.
Once this section has been explained, we will continue
analyzing a new intervention tool based on visual
elements for the group diagnosed with Autism Spectrum
Disorder.

This tool is called pictographic system of communication
and its elaboration and conformation, which are its most
relevant sections, which methodology it uses, as well as
its main function, among other aspects, will be explained.
Finally, we will deal with a section that will include the
previous ones, determining how to choose the most
appropriate intervention program, depending on the
characteristics and sections that it presents, those
that are specific to the diagnosis, and the individual
characteristics of each child. In addition, this choice will
be exposed taking into account which are the strong
points of the programs, and what disadvantages they
may present.
What Can Be Done as
Speech Therapists?
Professional as an active role in
the development and continuous
adaptation of materials.
The role played by Speech Therapy professionals is
varied, since it is influenced by the case they are dealing
with and its characteristics, as well as the environment
from which they must intervene.
Its functions begin with a prevention and diagnosis,
through which it can move on to practice. These steps
are absolutely necessary, since not all centers, contexts
and environments work in the same way or have the
same resources.
Based on this aspect, the speech therapists will begin
to develop the most specific methodology they can
for the children who attend the intervention, as well as
adapt the resources and materials available to them as
professionals, as well as those available to the families,
in order to ensure proper learning and development.
In the same way, as has been established so far, it is
also convenient that these professionals have certain
materials, instruments and tools that lead them to
identify children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well
as their communicative and linguistic alterations.
Early care and intervention is one of the fundamental
aspects of intervention, given that, by detecting
diagnoses as early as possible, it will be possible to work
and improve the evolution of the child’s development.
This means that, as it is well known, everything related
to the development of the person is more noticeable and
decisive in the first years of life, so if we work with them,
at the same time that they are developing cognitively, we
can include speech therapy learning, trying to make it
less confusing.
Educational Materials and Resources | 5
In these cases, it is not a matter of changing the
knowledge they may already have about speech and
hearing, but rather we would work from the speech
therapy materials so that, before they finish their training
in these areas, the children will have had the help from
this field. This is determined with the purpose that, both
in the infant and primary school years, as well as in the
years to come, the speech therapy intervention does not
constitute a problem for their evolution (depending on
each diagnosis), as long as it is done in a continuous way
from those early years.
On the other hand, it is important to emphasize how
fundamental it is to determine a collaboration, also from
an early age, in relation to the family-school- speech
therapist agents, since these are the three pillars of
education that children with ASD diagnosis (among
others) count on, who can count on speech therapy
intervention.
In order for the work carried out in this field to become
established in the child, so that it can really help him/
her and improve his/her skills, it must also be taken into
account and put into practice in the other areas of his/
her life, that is, at home and at school, by the people
who are in contact with him/her to a greater extent.
Next, in relation to this last point, the idea of Moreno, Grande,
and Pérez (2014), who focused, in one of their research
articles, on the teacher/teacher-logopedist relationship, will
be presented. They consider that such relationship “is an
indispensable condition for the success of the treatment of
language disorders both in general education and in Special
Education”.
In addition, as mentioned above, they claim that an
improper relationship between these professionals,
It can lead to serious damage
to the learning process, limiting
the possibilities of prevention,
correction or compensation of
language disorders” (Moreno,
Grande, & Pérez, 2014).
In this aspect, it can be observed, once again, that
teachers and speech therapists must go hand in hand in
the education of children, also collaborating in the most
appropriate use of resources and materials, adapted to
each individual case of diagnosis.
On the other hand, in relation to this collaboration, it is
estimated that, from Speech Therapy, it is possible to

It should provide the teacher with
the knowledge about the specialty
that he/she must possess to
achieve the fulfillment of his/
her mission and the systematic
orientations about the procedures
and methods to be used with each
student” (Moreno, Grande, & Pérez,
2014).
The aim is for these professionals to provide the
necessary guidelines that each teacher needs to
understand and work according to them. In addition, they
will show the different methods and materials that can
be used depending on the case of ASD that each child
has.
With this, it will not only be the teachers who will have to
look for ways to adapt the methodology and materials
to the learning of these children, but it will be a common
work, together with the speech therapy professionals
so that, in each class, those who need it, can have the
learning that is most beneficial to them, thus achieving
progress at the same level as their classmates.
From the work carried out by the speech therapists
working in schools, it has been determined that they play
a role of
Prevention, diagnosis or evaluation,
treatment, counseling, case follow-
up, talks, as well as coordination
with associations of mothers and
fathers of students” (Lardín and
Ramón, 2018).
With the guidance of the speech therapist, parents and
teachers will become part of this treatment, carrying
out exercises or tasks, through specific materials, to be
performed both by children with ASD diagnosis, and with
the aim that the rest of the agents perform them for their
benefit (i.e., putting into practice what they have learned
and techniques that are indicated to them, both at home
and at school, beyond the sessions they have with the
speech therapist).
Regarding the follow-up of cases, this will take place at
the same time as the treatment is given, with continuous
visits in which the speech therapist observes the
evolution that is taking place, or if on the contrary it is
not taking place, to change the techniques, the materials
or the methodology that is being used. Therefore, it is
essential the collaboration of school and family.
Educational Materials and Resources | 6
All of the above would deal with aspects related to the
functions that a speech therapist has both clinically and
at school, as well as the great relevance of the diagnosis
in ASD from early care, in the family and community
environments, which form a whole, a team that must
collaborate in relation to the diagnosis, in order to carry
out all possible contributions for a correct evolution and
improvement of the same.
List of Adapted
Resources and Materials
What Should I Keep in Mind?
When intervening in cases of autism spectrum disorder,
a series of fundamental elements must be taken into
account, which may determine the effectiveness of
the methods, materials and activities proposed for the
improvement of skills.
In these cases, the first main point to take into account
will be to work from the individuality of each case, taking
into account the characteristics of the type and degree
of Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as those that are
characteristic of the personality and development of the
person, according to the stage in which he/she finds
himself/herself.
Starting from this point, the intervention and all that
encompasses it, such as resources and materials,
should be focused on a choice that is adapted to
these characteristics, as well as to the individual work
of each case, being much more beneficial in this way,
especially in the beginning, than working in small groups.
This is much more beneficial, especially at the beginning,
than working in small groups.
Next, it will be necessary to consider that
the materials should also be adapted to the most
appropriate type of learning for the acquisition in each
case. In general, in ASD, it will work better, in a continuous
and more advanced way, through technological,
manipulative, practical materials that attract the child’s
attention.
As an example, three ICT tools will be shown, through
which the materials are adapted for the ASD group,
transforming the resources into different types of visual
pictograms, which will be of greater help for the child’s
learning.

• PICTAR
It aims to facilitate the work with pictograms in
the educational field, from tasks such as editing
of materials by teachers, as well as their use by
students in classroom activities when possible.
It has two clearly differentiated parts: the web page
where the editing of the materials is done, and a
translation web service that, given a text, allows to
translate it into pictograms and use this translation
as part of the material being worked with.
• Web Page for Editing Materials
The Editor is the main working area of the application.
A number of functions can be performed on the
pictograms displayed in the editing area: associate
text to the pictograms. You can choose whether
this text will appear above or below the pictograms;
change the color of the pictograms. Pictograms
can be displayed in black and white instead of their
original color; erasing. Each pictogram has two
small buttons to erase the pictogram in that hole,
leaving it blank, and to erase the whole hole, moving
the rest of the pictograms to the left and up in the
whole grid.
• Text-to-Picto Translation Service
The first step once the text is received is to
perform a morphological analysis of the text to
obtain the grammatical categories and lemmas
of the words. Once the analysis is done, its
lemma and grammatical category are stored for
each word. Instead of performing a simple word-
picto correspondence, an additional treatment of
possible n-grams (successions of n words whose
union can have a joint meaning and be represented
by one or more pictograms) is performed (Martín,
Hervás, Méndez and Bautista, 2018. pp. 2 - 3).
Brainstorming
In general, when developing projects or intervention
plans, each section usually requires a brainstorming
session proposed by the professionals involved. It
should be noted that this work is not merely technical,
but can also be carried out in the development of home
life, adaptation of school classrooms, management of
associations, etc.
Depending on each environment, brainstorming will be
carried out around more or less complex topics. The
characteristics they will have in common is that it is a
work tool that must be carried out in a group, on a given
topic, from which each person exposes his or her point
of view and what contributions he or she considers most
relevant to intervene in relation to it.
Educational Materials and Resources | 7
While this work is being carried out, each idea presented
should be noted down. Once all the contributions have
been received, they should be classified according to
whether they form part of the same field or area of work,
prioritized according to the urgency of the intervention
and, based on each classified category, the specific
sections of the intervention to be carried out should be
drawn up.
In the case of autism spectrum disorder, brainstorming
should revolve around skills and abilities that require
intervention, in general, such as improvement and
development in communication, social relationships,
emotions or establishment of routines.
In relation to this and to the development of adapted
materials, one of these categories will be related to the
promotion of autonomy and problem solving, since,
from an early age, it will be appropriate to work on a
series of routines, including assistance in matters of
hygiene, clothing, food, knowledge of the environment,
interpersonal relationships, etc.
On the other hand, as a result of this, it will also be
appropriate to work on problem solving on a larger
scale, not so much with external help that provides
solutions, but rather that they themselves begin to face,
assume and manage new changes, which will always
be present.
Related to the above, the materials should also be adapted
and directed to the intervention focused on routines and
daily planning, seeking a continuation of the work on
routine issues, fundamental for their daily organization
and, thus, generating a great support that helps, at the
same time, to control and manage emotions, possible
changes, the search for new resources and materials
that may facilitate such planning, etc.
Another fundamental area of development to be dealt
with in ASD cases will be emotions, by developing
specific materials to help manage their control, how to
identify them in other people, how to create adequate
and personalized spaces in which they feel more
comfortable and predisposed to work, how to deal with
these emotions in different environments, etc.
One of the areas of development in which the greatest
intervention should be made in ASD cases will be related
to communication and language, through which new
skills for the different environments in which they will
have to develop and that are part of everyday life, such as
the home, school, parks, shopping centers, restaurants,
supermarkets, etc., will be addressed.
Another area that requires greater intervention in ASD
is social skills, which would be appropriate to work
on through intervention projects or at a personal level,
focusing on the development of certain communication
and emotional skills, providing tips for managing new
situations, as well as telling experiences or simulating
social environments through artificial scenarios, in order
to practice these skills.

A final area of development that can be brainstormed
when determining adapted intervention materials for ASD
is anticipation and management of day-to-day changes.
This is directly related to the category of routines and
daily planning, but it will be necessary to work on it
from a more concrete and adapted point of view, setting
out in an exemplary way situations that can occur in a
single day, how many changes can occur (of scenarios,
actions, people, etc.), also working on improvisation,
preparing the group to manage these changes, etc.
Methods
Theoretical Approach to the Most
Commonly Used Methods
The most recognized and used methods of intervention
for the improvement of developmental areas of the
different cases of Autism Spectrum Disorder are
centered on models and programs already explained,
such as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), the TEACCH
model, Denver or SCERTS.
There are many others that are determined according to
the situation and the individual characteristics presented,
such as the skills to be reinforced or developed, as well
as the environment and the best way of learning that will
benefit the child’s acquisition of knowledge.
The global concept that encompasses the
aforementioned models, as well as others related to the
same field of intervention, is that of “evidence-based”.
This is defined as
The integration of the best and
most current evidence in order to
facilitate decisions for assessment
and intervention that are
considered effective and efficient
for a particular individual” (Salvadó,
Baduell, Torrentó, Camacho, &
Latorre, 2012).
In this regard, it is worth mentioning the principles that
evidence-based intervention models and programs
should meet:
• Evidence-based practice should have a compelling
rationale for clinical strategies.
• The results should be supported by research on the
clinical practice and expertise of the professionals
who carry it out.
Educational Materials and Resources | 8
• Interventions need to be tailored to the unique
characteristics of the users.
• Research should include real-life outcomes such
as daily living and community skills, e.g., supported
employment.
• Truly effective treatments are those that are made
generalizable to complex living conditions and
multiple contexts and cultures (Salvadó, Baduell,
Torrentó, Camacho, & Latorre, 2012. p. 2).
Functionality. Comparative Table
with the Exposed Methods
A comparative table (table 1) will be shown below, in which
some of the evidence-based methods of intervention in
autism spectrum disorder will be presented, presenting
new information on those already mentioned, as well as
showing which other methods can be used.
TEACHH Program
Educational Principles Based on
this Method
First of all, in order to understand how the intervention
is carried out from the TEACCH program, it must be
established, as a first principle, the understanding of
what is the Autism Spectrum Disorder.
In this sense, one of the most important aspects when
choosing the intervention through this model is the
evaluation, since it is necessary to know which skills are
really altered in each case of ASD, and not to assume, in a
general way, that we should intervene in the improvement
of abilities that may be less developed.
Therefore, in order to determine the skills in which it has
been proven that intervention is necessary, as well as to
carry out the process involved in applying the TEACCH
program, it is necessary to specify the educational
principles through which the program works with each
case:
• The most important goal of TEACCH is to improve
each individual’s adaptation by: a) contributing to the
improvement of his or her abilities and b) modifying
and structuring the environment to accommodate
autistic deficits; in TEACCH terminology, this is
called “mutual accommodation”.
 Educational Materials and Resources | 9

Table 1.

Evidence-Based Intervention Methods for ASD.

Evidence-Based Intervention Methods

These are specific learning procedures or practices that professionals or family
members use to enhance the development and learning of specific behaviors or to
decrease specific problem behaviors in a relatively short time. Some examples are: set
Intervention-Based
of preventive behavioral strategies; set of behavioral intervention strategies; shaping;
Practices
joint attention intervention; strategies in the natural context; parent-implemented
interventions; peer learning strategies; strategies for autonomy; and strategies for the
development and learning of specific behaviors.
It is a global model that includes clinical services and training programs for professionals.
The characteristic of this model, which differentiates it from the others, is the emphasis
on structured learning, and consists of:
• Structuring the environment and activities so that they are understandable to people
about what they are supposed to do, how long it will take, or how many times they
TEACCH Model have to do it.
• Build on these people’s strengths, such as visual skills and interests in visual details
to compensate for significant difficulties in other skills.
• Motivate them and keep them engaged in learning using their own individual special
interests.
• Support the use of spontaneous and functional communication.
It is characterized as constructivist (children play an active role in the construction
of their own mental and social world through their affective, motor and sensory
experiences) and transactional (the child and the other people around them are affected
and influenced by each other’s development).
A preliminary assessment is carried out to set short-term objectives, organized in four
Denver Model
levels (from 12 to 48 months), according to the child’s development, taking into account
the developmental profile of children with ASD.
The program covers intervention in the areas of communication, socialization, imitation,
play, cognition, fine and gross motor skills, behavior and autonomy. Two to three
objectives are set for each area and are monitored every 12 weeks.
It is a global multidisciplinary model, whose priority is to enhance the development
of socioemotional and communicative skills of people with ASD and their families
through the application of transactional supports. The acronym SCERT refers to the
SCERTS Model
dimensions emphasized by this model: social communication, emotional regulation and
transactional support. It advocates the idea that the most significant learning during
childhood occurs in the social context of daily activities and experiences.
It is characterized by having developed an inclusive-educational program for typically
developing children along with their peers with ASD. In addition, it has an educational
program for parents to help them in real life at home and in other community settings.
The program is oriented to enhance cognitive-academic, adaptive and autonomy,
communicative, social-emotional and behavioral areas. Children with ASD are included
Modelo LEAP
in the regular classroom during all school hours, learning strategies are used in the
natural context along with learning strategies for teachers and peers.
Uses practices such as the behavioral analysis method, incidental learning, picture
exchange communication, peer-mediated instructions, parent-implemented
interventions in the natural context, and strategies for autonomy.

Note: this table shows information on different intervention methods aimed at the group with Autism Spectrum Disorder, classified as evidence-
based intervention. Taken from Salvadó, Baduell, Torrentó, Camacho and Latorre (2012). Continued on the next page.
 Educational Materials and Resources | 10

Table 1.

Evidence-Based Intervention Methods for ASD.

They use systematic (discrete trial training, incidental learning) and intensive (direct
intervention of 20 to 40 hours per week) behavioral learning methods to enhance skills
that are encompassed in a structured program that includes specific objectives in areas
UCLA Model
such as social, play, cognitive, language and autonomy. They are individualized or small
group interventions, depending on the level or progress of the child, and are applied in
different contexts such as home, school and community.
According to the authors, programs differ in: degree of prescription versus flexibility
of learning; adult versus child-centered procedures; emphasis on initiation versus
response; responsiveness to the child’s behavior; nature of the learning context;
Significant Differences importance of information about the child’s development; social context of the
between Methods intervention; generalization to other settings; intensity, duration, and frequency of direct
learning; utilization of the child’s strengths; types of reinforcement; addressing problem
behaviors; type and intensity of data collection; recognition and utilization of individual
differences in learning; role of peers.

Note: This table shows information on different intervention methods aimed at the group with Autism Spectrum Disorder, classified as evidence-
based intervention. Taken from Salvadó, Baduell, Torrentó, Camacho and Latorre (2012).

• Work from the strengths and interests of the student

so that learning is functional.
• Prioritize careful and continuous assessment.
• Help students understand the meaning of the world
without assuming an automatic understanding.
• Be empathetic.
• Structure the environment.
• View negative behavior as a lack of understanding
or overwhelm by the environment rather than a lack
of compliance. (Rossi, 2007. p. 4).
INMER Program
Fundamental Bases of the
Program. Main Function
The INMER program has been developed since the
2000s by the autism group and the ATYEC group of the
robotics institute, with the aim of developing a tool based
on virtual reality, which could be used in intervention with
cases of autism spectrum disorder.

The main objective pursued with its implementation,

Characteristics of Autism as a through experimental studies, is to
Basis for Structured Teaching
To test whether virtual reality
Structured teaching is part of the TEACCH intervention
model, as it is one of the main elements to be taken could help people with ASD to
into account, also based on its basic principles, when develop their imagination. In this
determining how to carry out such intervention with
each individual case of ASD. way, a learning environment was
This type of teaching is based on the characteristics of developed in which the activity of
each case of ASD. The individual characteristics of each buying and selling in a supermarket
person must be analyzed and, as mentioned above, an
evaluation must be carried out to determine the skills and is recreated” (Gómez and García,
abilities that are most impaired, as well as the strengths 2012).
of the person.

Next, an explanatory table (table 2) will show which
are some of the characteristics that are part of this
Structured Teaching, based on the characteristics of
each case in ASD.
This is one of the most representative projects
of the ICT area, that is, of a technological nature,
which is used for intervention in ASD cases through
visual stimuli that focus on the improvement of
skills dedicated to aspects of autonomy, based
on communication, behavior, social relations, etc.
 Educational Materials and Resources | 11

Table 2.

Structured Teaching.

Characteristics of Structured Teaching in the TEACCH Model

• Increase and maximize independence and reduce the need for correction.
• Avoid behavioral problems.
Basic Objectives
• Teach skills to function in the world by building on the child’s strengths and through this
teaching make the environment more understandable.

• Differences in thinking and learning.

• Consider the difficulty a person with ASD has in understanding underlying meaning and
endowing specific meaning to experiences.
• Encourage skills for functional prioritization and evaluation of their environment.
• Take into account distractibility from both internal and external stimuli.
• Attend to concrete thinking, understood as difficulty with symbolic and abstract thinking,
and literal understanding of the environment, as well as generalization of experiences and
Approach
procedures in different domains.
• Address flexibility systematically by introducing changes in schedules, so that the student
can become accustomed to and expect changes to occur on that day.
• Addressing difficulty with multi-tasking, lack of analysis and synthesis skills, and difficulty
understanding relationships between steps impact how a person with ASD organizes and
combines ideas and steps.
• Seek increased time for processing and the tendency for visual dependency.

Understanding (through research):

Philosophy • Detailed description of the characteristics of autism as a way to identify with clients and
respond to their needs.
Two basic structures (in addition to anatomical and physiological structures):
Structured • First: have well-functioning basic psychological processes, including attention and memory
Teaching for for pragmatic and communicative competence and gestural perception and expression for
Communication paralinguistic competence.
• Second: correct language structure and form.

By adapting the environment to reduce distracting factors, providing visual cues and reminders
Contributions
that, among other functions, solve memory problems.

Note: This table shows some of the most relevant characteristics of Structured Teaching, in terms of its relationship with the TEACCH model and the
diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Taken from Rossi (2007).

Among its main objectives and functions, the following
can be identified:
• Improve the knowledge and autonomous handling
of objects in the real environment equivalent to
those worked on in the virtual environment.
• Enhance general fictional play skills.
• Promote the understanding of imagination (Gómez
and García, 2012. p. 9).
Virtual Reality Immersion System
for People with Autism
The INMER program was developed with the aim of
incorporating elements of Virtual Reality, related to ICT’s,
which would bring benefits in the improvement and
development of different skills of the group with autism
spectrum disorder. Among its most relevant sections, it
has been determined that the evaluation carried out in
the program has three specific characteristics:

• Assess the effectiveness of using virtual reality as

a tool to make explicit the fiction of substitutions.
For example, pretending that a loaf of bread is a
flute. With virtual reality it is possible to make and

show these substitutions explicitly: following the
example above, it is possible to show a loaf of bread
transforming into a flute. This can facilitate the
understanding of the substitutions by the person
with autism.
• To assess the effectiveness of the use of virtual
reality within an intervention strategy for teaching
and promoting fictional games. This strategy will
involve a step-by-step teaching with the help of
virtual reality.
• To evaluate comparatively the effectiveness of the
developed tool with an equivalent version of the
same tool based on conventional materials such as
thumbnails and photographs (Orts, 2004. p. 4).
It is mainly carried out through two fundamental sections,
called “I’m going to pretend” and “virtual supermarket”,
the latter being established as a result of the other (table
3).
ICT-Mediated Learning
Software to Teach Emotions
It is not new that the use of Information and
Communication Technologies brings great benefits to
the development and learning of the ASD group, given
its visual and manipulative nature, which can also be
used individually, without excessive noise and without
requiring a group of people in the same space.
Given this improvement in the learning of the group, with
time and the advance of technology, more and more
applications and software have been developed, from
which different types of education have been provided for
each area of development in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
One of the areas in need of intervention is the recognition
of emotions, both in the child himself or herself, as
well as in other people’s emotions when interacting.
Therefore, several applications have been designed to
help children from an early age, in order to develop this
area of development and, thus, from childhood begin to
understand and recognize emotions, starting with the
basic ones.
Among these is a neuropsychological intervention
software, called “Play with PIBO”, which has three
dimensions:
Emotional recognition, emotional
understanding and belief
understanding. Each has three
levels of complexity: low, medium
and high.” (Pico, Cuellar y Utria,
2019).
Educational Materials and Resources | 12
The descriptions provided for each of them are shown
below (table 4, 5 y 6).
Applications that Favor Language
Development
As in the case of emotions, in relation to the intervention
in Autism Spectrum Disorder, a variety of applications
and technological tools have been developed, which
pursue the objectives of improving and strengthening
different skills and abilities of this group.
Among others, approaches also focus on bringing
benefits to the area of language and communication,
since these are, in general, the areas of development that
usually present greater alterations in ASD.
In relation to this, the implications of the use of ICT as
an educational resource will be presented, as well as the
influence it has had on the teaching-learning process of
the group with ASD, among which is the one aimed at the
development of language and communication.
• ICT Applications
The use of ICTs implies the creation of a quality
education that should be understood as both a
duty and a right for all. In their article, Gómez and
Macedo (2010) ask the question: why should ICTs
be integrated into education? They answer this
question with a summary of three main reasons
why ICTs should be used:
- Reason: digital literacy of students. All students
should develop basic ICT skills.
- Reason: productivity. When carrying out activities,
searching for information, communicating, doing
exercises, etc., the advantages of ICT must be
taken advantage of.
- Reason: innovate in teaching practices. In order
to achieve better student learning, the didactic
possibilities offered by ICT should be used, thus
reducing school failure (Gómez, & Macedo, 2010,
p. 215).
Thus, it is evident that attention to diversity is one of
the areas in which ICT can play a fundamental role
(Prendes et al., 2014).
• Influencia de las TIC en el aprendizaje y desarrollo
de áreas lingüísticas en TEA.
Through educational research, the benefits of
ICTs for the teaching-learning process of students
with ASD are becoming more evident. ICTs are
characterized by their versatility, flexibility and
adaptability. They adapt to the characteristics
of students with ASD, favoring different learning
rhythms and a more individualized learning.
 Educational Materials and Resources | 13

Table 3.

Virtual Reality Immersion System for ASD.

INMER Program
It aims to help people with ASD to overcome the difficulties they have in relation to the
understanding of imagination and symbolic representations, within a familiar environment
and through play.
Computers are a major source of motivation for many people with autism, perhaps
because of their predictability and the visual format in which information is presented.
They offer structure, opportunities for repetition, affective involvement and, additionally,
control of the learning environment.
“I’m going to pretend...”
Virtual Reality (VR) has been claimed to provide a particularly facilitating environment for
people with ASD.
It shares the advantages of computer-based learning, and has the additional advantage
that the results can be expected to generalize to the real world, as it is a simulation of the
real world.
The virtual environment chosen is the Supermarket, as it is familiar to many of the
individuals with ASD.

“Virtual supermarket”
The environment are concrete places where the person lives, works, learns, socializes
and interacts. Natural environments are fundamental elements for people with serious
problems in the management of complex mental representations.
The Supermarket is one more environment in which people with disabilities develop their
daily lives, or at least that is how it is understood that it could be.
The advantages of the Supermarket are that it is an environment rich in social, familiar
and very useful (functional) content.
The Virtual Supermarket has a high symbolic value, and this is because the natural
environment -here virtual- has clear signals that enable anticipation.
Anticipation enables active and meaningful (relevant and satisfying) experiences. As a
teaching tool it can be:
• Explicit: use consists in the development of pre-programmed and well-controlled
sessions involving teacher and user.
• Implicit: facilitates the generalization or transfer of what has been learned in the V.S.
to the R.S. and other real environments

Note: The table shows information on each of the two types of intervention developed by the INMER program and aimed at the ASD group. Taken
from Orts (2004).

Table 4.

Play with PIBO: Emotion recognition.

Dimension Level of Complexity Name of the Activity Description of the Activity

Emotions are presented through
photographs and the child must
Guessing emotions
click on the face that corresponds
to the requested emotion.
The emotions are presented
Emotional through illustrations and the
Low level
Recognition Faces child must click on the face that
corresponds to the requested
emotion.
The two sides (illustrations) that
Equal Faces 1 correspond to the same emotion
must be joined in the center box.
Note: The figure shows which activities are carried out, according to the level, in relation to the area of emotion recognition, in the software “Play with
PIBO”, aimed at the ASD group. Taken from Pico, Cuellar and Utria (2019). Continued on the next page.
 Educational Materials and Resources | 14

Table 4.

Play with PIBO: Emotion recognition.

The emotions are presented through

illustrations and photomicrographs. The
Low level Equal faces 2 two faces that correspond to the same
emotion are asked to be joined in the
center box.
The activity consists of assembling
the face of a boy or a girl expressing
Parts
each of the emotions from
fragments of the face.
In this activity it is required to
assemble the face of the character
Discover the eyes by choosing the eyes that are
Medium level
missing according to the emotion
Emotional expressed.
Recognition
In this exercise you must complete
the face of the character by
Discover the mouths choosing the mouth that is missing
according to the emotion it
expresses.
The activity consists in making the
face of a child, choosing the mouth
Caras incompletas
and eyes that correspond to the
emotions of fear and disgust.
High level
The device’s camera is activated
and the child is asked to take
Autorreconocimiento
a picture expressing his/her
emotions.

Note: The figure shows which activities are carried out, according to the level, in relation to the area of emotion recognition, in the software “Play with
PIBO”, aimed at the ASD group. Taken from Pico, Cuellar and Utria (2019).

Table 5.

Play with PIBO: Understanding emotions.

Dimension Level of Complexity Name of the Activity Description of the Activity

The child must choose the emotion
Low level Discover the emotion
that corresponds to each situation.
The child must choose the situation
Let’s guess situations
that could lead to a given emotion.
Medium level From a story the child must identify
Emotional
understanding Stories 1 the emotion experienced by the two
characters.
In this activity, the character’s desire
must be identified, as well as the
High level Desires
emotion that triggers the fulfillment
or non-fulfillment of the desire.

Note: The figure shows which activities are carried out, according to the level, in relation to the area of understanding emotions, in the software “Play
with PIBO”, aimed at the ASD group. Taken from Pico, Cuellar and Utria (2019).

Table 6.
Play with PIBO: Understanding beliefs.
Dimension Level of Complexity
Low level
Understanding Medium level
beliefs
High level
Note: The figure shows which activities are carried out, according to the level, in relation to the area of comprehension of beliefs, in the software “Play
with PIBO”, aimed at the ASD group. Taken from Pico, Cuellar and Utria (2019).
Authors such as Sanromà et al. (2017) state that
ICTs have become very useful support tools and
a powerful resource for people with specific
educational needs in several areas: education,
communication, leisure and free time, assessment
and diagnosis, etc. More specifically, in the field
of education and communication, these become
essential especially for people with ASD (Cuartero,
2021. pp. 4 - 5).
Materials Development
Sources Used
The sources of information that are used to obtain specific
data on the details of certain topics are resources that
have the purpose of searching, identifying and locating
such information, so that it is truthful, reliable and of
high quality. Therefore, both for the writing of articles,
research, studies, etc., and above all, for the development
of programs and projects that will influence the lives of
different people, all the information on the topics that
occupy each design should be obtained from recognized
sources, whether they are scientific, educational,
psychological, etc.Some of the characteristics that
should be taken into account when determining the
sources to be used to obtain reliable information are:
• The source of information should always be
observed, its origin, reputation, publication history
should be checked, its information should be
contrasted with other reliable sources, considered
as a reference, and the degree of reliability should
be studied based on its citation by specialists,
professionals and researchers.
Educational Materials and Resources | 15
Name of the Activity Description of the Activity
A story is presented and the child
Stories 2 must answer questions related to
the story.
The child must choose the option
Guessing thoughts that corresponds to the thought of
one of the characters in a story.
The child must choose the
appropriate response in a story
Stories 3
involving perspective-taking and
false belief.
• Check the presentation of evidence or annexed
documents provided, determine whether the
dissemination is made through official channels and
not through intermediary persons or organizations,
assess the clarity of the information and the use of
an aseptic and precise linguistic style.
• The verification of sources, turns out to be a
complex and time-consuming task, as it requires
references, on which to establish a comparison
(Ochando, 2018. P. 7).
Image Banks
Generally speaking, image banks refer to the different
digital sites that can be accessed in order to search,
analyze and extract certain visual elements necessary
for the elaboration of certain materials, whether
professional, personal or educational (among others).
In relation to the creation of these banks, the following
characteristics are determined:
• In the English-speaking world, the image and video
banking sector is known as stock photography.
• The reason is that photography is used instead
of specifically commissioning a photographer or
filmmaker to take the images.
• For example, if a Spanish print publication, such
as a weekly travel magazine, needs to illustrate a
written report on an African country, it has at least
two options: to send one of its photographers or to
acquire the images directly from a bank.
• Therefore, this sector of the search is possible
because image banks oriented to a professional
audience provide access to huge collections of
photographs and illustrations (Codina, 2018. p. 81).

Banks of Pictograms
In Autism Spectrum Disorder, the image banks used
for intervention are usually related to pictograms,
showing different learning actions, aimed at the different
developmental areas of each case.
One of the most recognized banks in this regard in Spain
is SCALA,
A free-to-use platform on
the Internet that uses the
pictogram bank of the Aragonese
Augmentative and Alternative
Communication Portal
(ARASAAC) for the construction of
communication boards or stories”
(Passerino and Bonotto, 2018).
This pictogram bank can be used in two languages other
than Spanish, namely English and Portuguese. The great
importance of this bank lies not only in the great use that
can be made of the variety of pictograms available, but
also in the manipulation and editing options that allow
customizing them as necessary to intervene with each
case.
The work it carries out with the collective with Autism
Spectrum Disorder, it does so from four modules:
“communication board module”, “visual narratives”,
“literacy” and “mathematics” (Passerino and Bonotto,
2018).
In relation to the pictograms bank focused on the visual
narratives module, this is used to create books through
ICT, which can be accessed digitally, and which have
different narratives. These can be found as an image.
In PDF and JPG format. In addition
to the available categories of
pictograms (people objects, nature,
action, food, feelings and my
images) there is another category
(dialogues) that allows the insertion
of small dialogues” (Passerino and
Bonotto, 2018).
Educational Materials and Resources | 16
Recommended Materials
When recommending materials for intervention in
ASD, related to image banks or pictograms, a series of
fundamental elements should be taken into account,
which should be available on the websites, applications
or digital elements that have developed them, such as
those presented in the following explanatory table (table
7).
Free Resources to Support
Learning
List of Reinforcement Pages with
Programs to Reinforce Learning
As mentioned in previous topics, when intervening in
ASD cases, the personal characteristics of the child
must be taken into account, as well as those of his or her
family, including the resources and materials available to
them both for the intervention and for their own training
in relation to the diagnosis.
Therefore, it is worth highlighting some of the free
digital resources that families can access from different
devices, in order to have more information and learning
in relation to Autism Spectrum Disorder, and what
advice or guidelines can be followed to carry out the
intervention from home, in addition to those indicated by
professionals. Some of these resources are:
• https://www.brincar.org.ar/biblioteca/
• h t t p s : // w w w. b r i n c a r. o r g . a r / w p - c o n t e n t /
uploads/2020/03/Recursos-gratuitos.pdf
• www.arasaac.org
• www.abrecascarones.com.ar
• www.brincar.org.ar
• www.mirame.org.ar (Arnedo, 2020. pp. 14 – 15)
The pages mentioned are mostly related to information
and theoretical aspects of the diagnosis, as well as
strategies or data that can be of great relevance and help
for families, especially at the beginning of the intervention
with their son or daughter with ASD, managing the
situation in the most appropriate way possible for the
welfare of all.
However, other types of free resources, in relation to
intervention programs with the diagnosis of ASD, may be
focused on reinforcing learning from ICT, such as:
• e-Mintza
It is a free communication program based on
pictograms and associated sounds. The board can
be customized to adjust the language, texts, images,
videos or sounds and can be used on touch screens
or through the mouse. The program also includes
the possibility of including photographs or personal
 Educational Materials and Resources | 17

Table 7.

Materials for the elaboration of visual banks for ASD.

Recommendations for the Development of Visual Materials

Readability It is related to the readability of the texts in the different screens of the application.
The clarity of the screen is essential for proper display of the content. The background and
Clarity
lettering should contain colors that facilitate reading.
Colors should be in harmony with the platform, with uniform tones that attract the attention of
Use of color
the user subject, but without distracting from the task.
Applications can have the option to change their appearance and adapt them to the user’s
Customization
needs.
Note: The table shows, in an explanatory way, the most relevant recommendations when elaborating and developing visual elements systems,
among which are image and pictogram banks, aimed at the ASD group. Taken from Montes, Cara and Fuentes (2021).

videos instead of pictograms or letters, as well as

an agenda tool. Dedicated to special education.
• Doctor Tea
It is a web application that presents a virtual tour that
shows through vignettes, videos and animations,
the user can go through the different areas of
the hospital, as well as know the professionals
who will attend them, the medical procedures
and the instruments most commonly used in the
consultations. The website also has a section
of games based mainly on images: sequences,
puzzles, memories, among others, which makes
this approach more enjoyable and fun. Dedicated to
primary education.
• Soyvisual
It is an app with practical exercises of different
levels, which presents a system of augmentative
communication that has a large bank of
photographs, plates and various graphic materials.
It is aimed at people with communication and
language difficulties. It has a photo bank for those
who still do not understand pictograms well or who
need to make the transition to recognize concepts.
Dedicated to special education.
• iSecuencias
It is a learning app for children based on 100
sequences represented by six characters that work
on four general areas: autonomy habits, such as
washing hands and teeth, getting dressed or going
to bed. Playful events or activities such as going to
the beach, going to the movies or playing sports.
Everyday situations such as falling, getting on the
bus, going to the doctor, buying bread or getting
wet in the rain. Emotions such as joy, sadness,
surprise or fear that appear as a consequence of
what happened. Dedicated to special education
(Delgado, 2019. pp. 24 - 25).
SPC
Access to the Pictographic
System of Communication
Pictographic Communication Systems refer to the
“representation of language through drawings, pictures
or images.” (Abadín, Santos and Cerrato, 2012). This
type of learning can be aimed at different groups,
depending on the style that is most beneficial for
their development, ranging from people with specific
diagnoses to people with typical development who
acquire knowledge better through visual learning.
Therefore, its access is not unique and exclusive, in fact,
If you look around, you find
numerous types of them that help
you find places, organize circulation,
etc” (Abadín, Santos and Cerrato,
2012).
This can be the case both for signs at street level, both
for vehicles and pedestrians, as well as pictograms
that indicate where specific places are located, or what
actions are prohibited in certain spaces.
In relation to the cases of Autism
Spectrum Disorder, access to these
systems is carried out, since It
encourages infants to have fluency
in speech, knowing that their
dialogue, characteristic of autism

becomes confusing, they do not
pronounce words well, at the time
of emitting a sound it is possible
that they are not understood”.
(Montalván and Toscano, 2014).
Another fundamental characteristic that makes access
to pictographic systems useful for intervention in ASD is
that, from an early age, these are
A strategy that benefits the
progress of teaching-learning in
the case of autistic children, since
they have difficulty in the process
of learning to read, write and even
speak” (Montalván and Toscano,
2014).
Methodology
Pictographic Communication Systems, whether for
Autism Spectrum Disorder or for use in other types of
visual learning, have a series of elements that must be
taken into account when carrying out the methodology
designed for them correctly.
• His method is intended for people with a simple
expressive language level, limited vocabulary
and who can produce sentences with a simple
structure. The pictographic signs are organized
into six different categories based on the function
of the symbol, following a key, i.e. each of them
has a different color or tone, which facilitates the
understanding of the syntactic structure.
• It is based on the drawing of shapes, beings or
objects that explain, relate or describe a story, a
fact or an agreement. This form of communication
is very successful for those infants who have
language difficulties, even more so for autistic
children, since they can express what they want
through charts with graphics.
• Manifestation of graphic expression characterized
by the fact that each sign of the graphic code is the
translation of a complete sentence or statement.
This type of writing is used to develop the critical
thinking and reasoning of students, through
simplified drawings of objects that are being
combined..
• Pictograms represent a didactic resource for the
teaching-learning process, providing benefits to
children and adults who lack the ability to write
or who have difficulties in expressing themselves
orally in order to overcome difficulties.
Educational Materials and Resources | 18
• Pictographic readings help reading comprehension,
initiate the construction of concepts, improve
attention and motivation of young future readers.
• The adult reads the text and, upon encountering a
symbol, passes the turn to the child. In this way,
the infants will learn with fun, since the use of
pictograms is a pedagogical method that helps
the infant to be indirectly introduced in the field of
reading and writing (Montalván and Toscano, 2014.
pp. 40 - 42).
Main Function
The Pictographic Communication Systems are one of
the most chosen intervention tools among professionals,
for the teaching-learning process of children, as well as
young people and adults who need it.
Emphasizes that
It was developed so that its
illustrations could be clearly
differentiated from each other
and could be easily understood
when interpreted by someone”
(Montalván and Toscano, 2014).
In other words, its implementation was designed to
accompany the learning process, so that there would be
more than one way of acquiring knowledge, since not all
people learn through the same established methods.
Implantation
Choosing the Right Program
Throughout the agenda, different data and information
have been provided on how to choose the intervention
programs aimed at the group diagnosed with Autism
Spectrum Disorder, as well as the work carried out
through a variety of these programs, focused mainly on
new technologies.
Specifically, determining which program will be most
appropriate to use will always depend, first of all, on
the type of ASD diagnosis in question, as well as on the
individuality of the child and his or her characteristics
in terms of skills or abilities in different areas of
development.
Following the development of several research studies,
the choice of intervention programs should be carried out
taking into account a series of fundamental principles,
which are as follows:

• Any intervention program must be individualized.
Each person has different support needs,
motivations, interests and difficulties and, therefore,
requires an intervention program tailored to his or
her specific profile of deficits and strengths.
• The design of intervention objectives and strategies
should be based on a previous and exhaustive
evaluation of the specific skills and difficulties of
each individual.
• The intervention program must ensure the
generalization of learning through the design of
activities in natural environments. Action should be
taken in all social environments where the person
with ASD develops.
• The family has to be considered as an active agent
in the teaching process. The participation of parents
is fundamental both in the design and planning
of therapeutic objectives and in the application of
specific strategies in natural environments that
facilitate the generalization of acquired learning.
• The intervention model must respect the need for
order, structure, anticipation and predictability that
people with ASD show.
• Based on the strengths of people with ASD and also
knowing their weakest points, the structuring of
the environment and activities using visual aids is
ensured.
• The program should promote the acquisition of
functional learning. The usefulness of what is
taught should be sought and activities should be
designed to allow the acquisition of higher levels of
autonomy and control over the environment.
• The interests of the person with ASD should be
used in the design of tasks and activities. Through
personal interests, the motivation and involvement
of the person in the learning process can be
enhanced.
• The intervention program must include specific
objectives that are easily measurable and
susceptible to assessment. In other words, it must
be possible to objectively and continuously measure
the effectiveness and results of the program (Pérez
and Comí, 2013. pp. 3 - 4).
List of Benefits and Disadvantages
Starting with the disadvantages for intervention in ASD,
these are varied, since it is mainly a diagnosis for which
it has not yet been possible to determine, specifically, the
causes or factors of origin. Other disadvantages include
the following:
Educational Materials and Resources | 19
• Often children have developmental delays that
are not known to be compensated for over time,
so temporary or provisional diagnoses are used
or waiting is required to verify or give a definitive
diagnosis. If it carries over to language, social or
affective behavior, etc., it can be really difficult to
know exactly what may be going on.
• Many of the pervasive developmental disorders have
particularities in the early stages of development
that make it complex to speak of homogeneous
groups. For this reason, the individuality of the
patient makes it difficult to study them in intergroup
research designs.
• Rare syndromes and diseases that often go
unnoticed by clinicians and relatives and/or for
which there are no treatments are still being
catalogued.
• It is difficult to convince parents that their child is
going to be “randomized” into a group, which may
be experimental or placebo and which may deprive
them of conventional treatment for a period of time
that is vital at this age.
• Difficulties in discerning whether the treatment
outcome is really due to the treatment itself or to
the effects of the passage of age and their own
rate of evolutionary development or the influence
of other significant environmental variables such as
family or school environment.
• Normally in this setting almost all children
receive comprehensive interventions (aimed at
multiple objectives) from various professionals
(psychologists, speech therapists, pediatricians,
educators, etc.). All this makes it difficult to collect
measures of variables or significant behaviors of
change and to determine to what type of treatment
children have been sensitive and to what extent
(Raya, Gual, Elvira, Salas, & Cívico, 2015. p. 1).
However, the processes of intervention in Autism
Spectrum Disorder, thanks to the research and case
studies that have been carried out over time, have a
number of benefits when determining which methods
or programs are most appropriate to use, depending on
the individual cases of ASD. However, as in the case of
its origin, there are no cases in which the intervention
is completely effective, so they also have some
disadvantages. The intervention programs with the most
recognized benefits are:
In the field of psychological and educational
interventions, on many occasions it can be observed
how certain lists of effective psychological
treatments point to the ABA system as the only
effective treatment for autism.
Obviously the ABA system (and its principles) have
provided important advances in the field. Many
people will observe a benefit and progress in the
child and many others will observe the effect of a
methodology focused on increasing behaviors.

Applied behavior analysis remains one of the most
valuable options for working with many behaviors
targeted for intervention in autism, but it is still far
from being a holistic intervention alternative that
covers all needs and areas of work.
• Other classic behavioral programs such as Early
and Intensive Behavioral Intervention; Discrete Trial
Training; the Princeton Child Development Program;
the Global Behavioral Analysis Applied to Schooling
Program, etc., are all behavioral programs that
although they report good results have limitations
in that they do not have at least two independent
studies that meet sufficient criteria to be considered
randomized clinical trials.
• Other treatments such as TEACCH, Denver, intensive
communication training, cognitive-behavioral
therapy, parent training and coaching, and others, are
current and represent other attempts to systematize
global interventions in autism. Although promising,
they have not yet been able to publish large clinical
trials that corroborate their efficacy with evidence-
based criteria.
• The greenspan model or ground play therapy or
developmental intervention based on relationships
and individual differences does present a
randomized study supporting its efficacy (Raya,
Gual, Elvira, Salas, & Civico, 2015. p. 1).
Summary
The exposed and treated sections are part of the seventh
topic in relation to the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum
Disorder, called “educational materials and resources”.
In this case, this title is related to certain elements
that make up the elaboration, planning, adaptation and
implementation of materials aimed at the ASD group,
taking into account the variety of models from which this
work can be carried out.
We began by analyzing the work carried out by
professionals in the field of speech therapy in the
intervention, focused on the improvement and
reinforcement of communication and language skills,
showing what their main role is and how they perform the
development and adaptation of materials from different
environments.
On the other hand, it was then explained which are some
of the resources that should be taken into account when
choosing or developing the materials to be used in the
intervention in ASD. Given the general characteristics of
this group, the importance of designing materials that
can be used individually, adapted to each case and, as
far as possible, of a visual and/or technological nature
was shown, showing three examples that can be used in
intervention.
Educational Materials and Resources | 20
In addition, it was explained what brainstorming
implies in any program or intervention plan, regardless
of the environment in which it will be carried out. The
importance of forming groups, focusing on a specific
topic and the work to be done once the main ideas have
been formulated was shown.
After this, a section was established to show which
are some of the most recognized methods, which are
usually chosen to ensure the reliability and effectiveness
of benefits and improvements in each case, aimed at
the ASD group. First of all, a theoretical approach was
established in relation to the block to which they belong,
dealing with evidence-based intervention, to then give
way to the development of a comparative table, in which
these methods were shown in more detail, and what are
some of the differences that can be seen between them.
Next, an intervention model shown in the previous
section, as well as in other relevant topics in relation
to ASD diagnosis, was discussed. This is the TEACCH
intervention program, of which some of the educational
principles based on this method were presented, as
well as the main characteristics of ASD in relation to
structured teaching and what it implies.
Once these concepts had been specified, a new
intervention program for Autism Spectrum Disorder, the
INMER model, was explored. Its technological nature, its
bases and main functions, as well as the implications
and applications of the virtual reality immersion system,
aimed at people with ASD diagnosis, were explained.
After this, a type of intervention that can encompass the
previous ones was discussed, as well as being one of the
most used when determining the choice of professionals:
intervention through information and communication
technologies.
In this case, also aimed at the group with Autism
Spectrum Disorder, it was investigated what types of
software can be designed to carry out the intervention,
showing an example of a type that deals with the
improvement of recognition and understanding of
emotions. In addition, some applications were presented,
also elaborated from ICT’s, which were designed with the
purpose of intervening in the development of language
and communication in ASD.
Also with great relevance, several elements that are
part of the development of materials and resources
for intervention with the ASD group were specified.
Firstly, the importance of using reliable and truthful
sources to acquire the necessary information and data
to elaborate the intervention process was shown. Next,
the meaning attributed to image banks and pictogram

banks was presented, focusing on ASD cases. Finally,
certain recommendations were determined that should
be taken into account when elaborating material aimed
at intervention with this group.
In addition, a series of web pages and digital resources
were specified, which can be accessed free of charge
and which are related to information on Autism Spectrum
Disorder, diagnoses, ways of intervention, ways of
learning, family training, tips and strategies to work from
home and promote the welfare of everyone, etc.
Another relevant section was related to the determination
of specifics related to pictographic communication
systems. It was established what their implementation
implies, what resources are used, their specifications in
TEA and, concretely, what are the methods and strategies
used, which make up the methodology, and what is the
main function for which it is used.
Finally, elements related to how intervention programs
should be implemented in ASD cases were addressed,
taking into account the variety of previous sections, for
which the process to be followed to choose the most
appropriate program was determined, as well as a list
of benefits and disadvantages that can facilitate this
process.
Bibliography
Abadín, D. A., Santos, C. I. D., & Cerrato, Á. V. (2012).
Comunicación aumentativa y alternativa. Guía de
referencia. CEAPAT.
Arnedo, C. F. (2020). Trastorno del Espectro Autista.
Colegio de Magistrados de San Isidro. Recuperado de:
http://www.strinidad.com.ar/docs/publicaciones_
documentos/470.pdf
Codina, L. (2018). Sistemas de búsqueda y obtención
de información: componentes y evolución. Anuario
ThinkEPI, 12, 77-82.
Cuartero, S. D. (2021). Tecnologías para la enseñanza
y el aprendizaje del alumnado con Trastorno
del Espectro Autista: una revisión sistemática.
Innoeduca. International Journal of Technology and
Educational Innovation, 7(1), 107-121.
Delgado, A. M. R. (2019). Videojuego de apoyo al
proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de niños con
trastornos del espectro de autismo (Bachelor’s
tesis). Universidad de las Ciencias Informáticas.
Gómez, J. L. C., & García, V. A. (2012). Tecnologías de
la información y la comunicación: aplicaciones en el
Educational Materials and Resources | 21
ámbito de los trastornos del espectro del autismo.
Siglo Cero: Revista Española sobre Discapacidad
Intelectual, 43(242), 6-25.
Lardín, M. S. C., & Ramón, J. P. M. (2018). Diseño de un
instrumento para el análisis de las competencias
del logopeda escolar y del maestro de Audición y
Lenguaje. European Journal of Child Development,
Education and Psychopathology, 6(1), 47-56.
Martín, A., Hervás, R., Méndez, G., & Bautista, S. (2018).
PICTAR: Una herramienta de elaboración de
contenido para personas con TEA basada en la
traducción de texto a pictogramas. XIX Interacción.
Montalván, O. M., & Toscano, E. P. (2014). Sistema
pictográfico de comunicación en niños autistas de 5
a 6 años de edad (Bachelor’s tesis). Universidad de
Guayaquil.
Montes, C. D. P. G., Cara, M. J. C., & Fuentes, A. R.
(2021). Diseño de un sistema de indicadores para
la evaluación y selección de aplicaciones para
personas con Trastorno del Espectro Autista. Revista
Electrónica Educare, 25(3), 315-338.
Moreno, M. D. R. L., Grande, S. L., & Pérez, A. C. C. (2014).
Apuntes para la competencia comunicativa del
maestro logopeda. Exigencias como comunicador
en la prevención y seguimiento al escolar tartamudo.
Razón y Palabra, 18(87).
Ochando, M. B. (2018). El problema de las noticias falsas:
detección y contramedidas.
Orts, B. S. (2004). INMER-II: Sistema de Inmersión en
Realidad Virtual con Autismo. [Conferencia]. Servicio
de Información sobre Discapacidad.
Passerino, L., & Bonotto, R. C. D. S. (2018). Tecnología
y discapacidad:(re) construcción de la
intersubjetividad a partir de una perspectiva socio-
histórica en una pesquisa-acción en niños con TEA.
Estándares e indicadores para la calidad informativa
en los medios digitales, 11. 195-218.
Pérez, J. M., & Comí, M. L. (2013). Tratamiento de los
trastornos del espectro autista: unión entre la
comprensión y la práctica basada en la evidencia.
Revista de neurología, 57(1), S185-S191.
Pico, P. S., Cuellar, G. B., & Utria, O. (2019). Software
para estimulación socio-emocional en niños con
trastorno del espectro autista. Psychologia. Avances
de la disciplina, 13(1), 111-124.
Raya, M. A. S., Gual, E. M., Elvira, J. A. M., Salas, B. L.,
& Cívico, F. A. (2015). La atención temprana en los
trastornos del espectro autista (TEA). Psicología
educativa, 21(1), 55-63.
Rossi, C. C. G. (2007). Principios y estrategias de
intervención educativa en comunicación para
personas con autismo: TEACCH. Revista de
Logopedia, foniatría y audiología, 27(4), 173-186.
Salvadó, B. S., Baduell, M. P., Torrentó, M. C., Camacho,
M. M., & Latorre, M. A. H. (2012). Modelos de
intervención global en personas con trastorno del
espectro autista. Revista de Neurologia, vol. 54, núm.
Supl 1, p. 63-71.