Online Education Help for Children with Autism

When Michelle Mould discovered a new online learning resource for her autistic daughter Rosie, she couldn’t believe how effective it was.

“It was a breakthrough in Rosie’s learning, “ says Mrs Mould, whose daughter is 10. "She is so motivated she has progressed from Reception to Year 1 work through using EducationCity.com.”

Mrs Mould, a Special Education Needs governor at her local school, has been educating Rosie at home for the past four years. "I've had a constant battle to find appropriate resources to assist with my daughter's education. Last October I came across a reference to EducationCity.com and took out a free trial subscription and went online with Rosie."

Mrs Mould explains: "The impact was amazing. The site uses simple, colourful graphics, ideal for Rosie who is so easily distracted by the smallest of things. Quite often many resources are visually too overloaded for use by those with autistic spectrum disabilities. She loves the games and characters and enjoys getting the reward animations when she gets her answers right, which are really motivating for her."

She adds: "Using this resource has given me peace of mind. Because all of the activities are linked to national curriculum learning objectives, I now have a way of knowing that I'm covering all the things Rosie would be taught in a school. It has also enabled me to introduce much more effectively, reading, mathematics and science into her programme of work."

"Since she's started using EducationCity.com I can see that Rosie is growing in confidence. It has definitely helped her with little words. And the simple act of using the computer and enjoying the activities has a normalising benefit. For instance, Rosie's brother can see her in a different light when she is sitting there doing similar activities to
him."

Matt Drakard of EducationCity.com adds: "We continue to learn, and be amazed by, how people are using our resource”

The site is currently used in over 2,500 schools, by over half a million children. All activities are curriculum mapped to QCA and national literacy and numeracy strategies in England and to curriculum guidelines in Scotland.