TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WIAT) - Do you consider the i-Pad to be a miracle device?  While the apple technology is changing the way people listen to music, watch movies, and search the web; it's also changing the way students with autism are able to participate and interact in the classroom.  Students at University Place Elementary school received over 30 i-Pad's last year, and while any student in the school can benefit from using the devices, some of the special needs classes have regular seasons with i-Pads and their teachers. 

University Place teachers say they've seen a big difference in their students with autism since they have started using the i-Pads.  One nine-year old boy named Chris is nonverbal, but by using the i-Pad he is able to communicate with his teachers and classmates.  All students in the school are required to have a data portfolio that shows their goals and progress throughout the year.  Chris is able to share his data portfolio, that includes a goal to write a full word without tracing it by the end of the year, through the use of his i-Pad.

"It's opened up little parts of their personality that we may not have been able to see before,"says Jennifer Baggett, a speech and language pathologist at the school.  "We can see their wants, needs, and choices instead of having them just use their hands."

Students are even able to bring the i-Pads into general classrooms, where they can follow along with other students in format that fits their needs.  Teachers say the i-Pads are hands-on and seem to help the students stay focused.  Even when the students focus on a particular interest (one student loves the video game character Sonic the hedgehog) teachers can now find a way to use that interest and turn the play into learning.