Teachers do not need to become experts in these tools, but knowing they exist, and what they are for, helps a teacher respond confidently when a student is already using one, or asks whether one is permitted.
|
Technology |
How and when it helps |
|
Visual schedules and planning apps |
Make session structure, timetables, and multi-step tasks explicit and predictable. |
|
Noise-cancelling headphones |
Reduce sensory overload in busy or noisy environments such as libraries and lecture halls. |
|
Written communication tools (structured messaging, shared documents) |
Provide an alternative to fast-paced verbal or informal communication. |
|
Task and reminder apps |
Support executive function and reduce reliance on remembering unwritten expectations. |
|
Mentoring and check-in platforms |
Support the one-to-one, relationship-based check-ins research identifies as particularly effective. |
Sources: Tang, Griffiths & Welch (2024); Fabri, Fenton, Andrews & Beaton (2022); Macleod, holistic support model for university students with Asperger syndrome; teacher-perspectives research on barriers and facilitators of learning in autism.