Using Amazon's Alexa To Develop Speech Skills In Your Autism Classroom or Home School
Are you looking for an engaging, motivating, low prep way to help your students, or your own child, develop their speech skills?
Do you teach students with autism who struggle to be understood when they speak?
I recently bought an Amazon Echo (Alexa) for my autistic son, and I’m amazed by how it is helping him improve the clarity of his speech.
My son, who had no speech until he was three, and still has a language delay, speaks very fast (he does everything fast!), running all the words together. He often misses out words in his sentences, particularly articles such as “the”. He also deletes final consonants in words (eg saying “stan” instead of “stand”). Therefore, people who don’t know him well struggle to understand him, causing him to either give up communicating or become very frustrated.
He loves listening to music, so I wondered if asking the Echo device to play him music would motivate him to speak more slowly and clearly. Just a few hours after his Echo was set up he was saying “Alexa, play The Beatles” & “Alexa, play Michael Bublé” clearly enough for Alexa to understand him. Wow!
In just a few months his speech has slowed, his articulation is improving and he is projecting his voice across the room. He can now say “r” much clearer because he wants to listen to Diana Ross (he has a very broad taste in music). And, when Alexa doesn’t understand him, he patiently tries again, and again until he succeeds.
Another skill which he has developed since talking to Alexa is the ability to assertively say “No!” and “Stop!” (when Alexa plays him the wrong cover version of a song). Being able to say No and Stop is so important for our kids and young adults so that they learn to speak up for themselves if others attempt to bully them.
What if your students are not motivated by music?
There are lots of other things which they can ask Alexa, depending on their interests, age and ability. Such as the weather, the number of miles to other towns and cities, how many days until events or holidays, how to spell words, the definition of words, animal facts, space facts, science facts.
Taking turns asking Alexa questions can help develop basic social skills.
What do you need to consider before using an Echo in your classroom or home school?
Discuss and display your rules first- such as who chooses what to ask Alexa and the need for taking turns, what types of songs are allowed and not allowed, what times of the day can Alexa be used such as during free choice time, reward time or any time of day. Remember to have a back up plan of an alternative activity in case your wifi isn’t working.
And, if your students are working on specific speech targets please remember to ask for advice and input from their Speech Therapist.
Best Wishes
Kirsten