“I could not live without my iPhone”
How many times have you heard someone say that? Or something similar about a gadget, whether it’s an Apple device or otherwise? Well, for me, thats pretty much true. Welcome to the work of autism and assistive technology.
So, first up I am going to take a slight step away from my statement and one extra word: “I could not live (independently) without my iPhone”.
Now for a bit of background. My name is Jamie Knight, and I am an autistic front end web developer from the UK. In this article I am going to explore how Apple technology fundamentally changes my life, and enriches the lives of others.
Disabilities, differences, call them what you will, have for a long time been a great area for technology to help. From the first white canes to the latest assistive and augmentative communication aids, there are a range of needs out there which technology is able to fulfil.
For this article I would like to focus on 3 areas: communication, organisation and management. These are the ways in which my autism affects me and where technology helps the most.
Communication
Communication is hard; with or without autism. But once you start limiting the ways you can communicate it starts getting harder. My biggest issue with communication is speech. When stressed I am unable to talk, word simply won’t come out. Back when I was younger this would mean going back to PECS (a big books of pictures) or sign language (assuming someone else can sign). Both methods are slow, or difficult to use without some specialist know-how. What if technology could give me a voice? Well, using a few choice pieces of software it can.
Jamie Knight with plushie Lion and his trusty MacBook
At the same time I was using a mobile phone (the irony, a device for talking while walking, used for speaking while standing still!) with a keyboard (a Nokia E61). My only way to use it was to type message in the text app, and then show it to people.
A couple of years later and my choice of phone has changed – I am now an avid iPhone user – and the apps for my needs have grown in sophistication and power. Proloquo2Go is my current app of choice for communicating. It goes beyond the old Nokia in that after building up a phrase or sentence with a quick tap, it reads the sentence to whoever I need to talk to.
In my pocket, every day, I have a voice for when I am unable to speak. This has changed my life, empowering me to go into situations which would have been daunting just a few short years ago. Providing confidence, providing communication.
Organisation
Apart from living independently with minimal support I also run my own business. This is another big challenge for me, and key area where Apple products have changed my life.
I live most days by a rough timetable, a routine as you would. I use a number of Apps on my Mac and my iPhone to make sure I am where I need to be, when I need to be there.
There are many apps which have versions for both iPhone and Mac computers, making them doubly useful.
Sometimes iCal is not the right tool for the job, at these times I fall back on the wonderful app Things. Things is a “to do list” type of app which helps you get stuff done. It syncs between my MacBook and my iPhone and give me the extra detail. This combined with iCal, and Task Paper give me the organisation I need to get out and do things calmly and productively.
Managing Trouble
A big part of maintaining my independence is by managing the areas in which I struggle. These areas can be wide and diverse, from worrying and obsessing, through to panic or knowing when I need to get help. Worrying and obsessing on issues is part of how my autism affects me. Everyone worries, but for me they can become debilitating and take over all my mental processes. The iPhone once again comes to the for here, the ability to pull up instructions on how to make coffee, or turning to Google or chat-rooms when trying to fix things around the house (like fuses tripping etc) is vital. By allowing me instant access to the information I need, I can manage my worries. I can check that I am doing things in the correct order, or the correct way.
Apple technology helps me to manage my world. My iPhone, is the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see at night. Without it, I would struggle to function. For me, technology really is my life. I could not live without my iPhone.
- Jamie Knight
Jamie Knight is a UK based autistic web designer/developer never seen far from his plushie friend Lion. Jamie runs his own web design studio and accessibility consultancy alongside presenting and training on autism and advocacy. Jamie has worked with a range of clients from universities and national charities through to international broadcasters. When not working, Jamie enjoy mountain biking, reading about design and user interfaces, and occasionally plays a game of Warhammer or two. Lion enjoys smarties and planning how to catch that next antelope.
If you are going to buy Proloquo2Go, please consider using the links in this article. If you do, I'll get a commission - a small percentage of the sale price. It won't cost you anything and it will help to support me and ATMac.
jonathanchacon June 9, 2010 at 6:15 pm
Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://bit.ly/a5twDH #a11y
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rickybuchanan June 9, 2010 at 6:59 pm
Great article on @atmacournal by @jamieknight: Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook and Life http://bit.ly/a5twDH #a11y
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atmacjournal June 9, 2010 at 7:15 pm
@JamieKnight wrote us a great article: Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook and Life http://bit.ly/bvvUzK #a11y
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EADraffan June 9, 2010 at 7:51 pm
ATMac blog on Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://bit.ly/cje1gS
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PerBusch June 9, 2010 at 7:52 pm
RT @atmacjournal: @JamieKnight wrote us a great article: Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook and Life http://bit.ly/bvvUzK #a11y
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InternetISchool June 9, 2010 at 7:52 pm
RT @EADraffan: ATMac blog on Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://bit.ly/cje1gS
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subrigavar June 9, 2010 at 7:54 pm
RT @PerBusch @atmacjournal: @JamieKnight wrote us a great article: Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook and Life http://bit.ly/bvvUzK #a11y
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JamieKnight June 9, 2010 at 8:05 pm
Great article on @atmacournal by @jamieknight: Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook and Life http://bit.ly/a5twDH #a11y (via @rickybuchanan)
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JamieKnight June 9, 2010 at 8:19 pm
Woop my latest article has just gone live! It’s about apple products and autism: http://atmac.org/autism-apple-iphone-macbook-life woop
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scenariogirl June 9, 2010 at 8:35 pm
RT @JamieKnight: My latest article has just gone live! It’s about apple products & autism: http://bit.ly/cje1gS
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MattEvans June 9, 2010 at 8:45 pm
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MsDovic June 9, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Intresting – from user perspective. RT @scenariogirl @JamieKnight: My latest article …about apple products & autism: http://bit.ly/cje1gS
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stcaccess June 9, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Wonderful article by @jamieknight on Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://bit.ly/a5twDH /via @rickybuchanan #a11y #techcomm
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MamtaTandel June 9, 2010 at 9:04 pm
RT @JamieKnight: My latest article has just gone live! It’s about apple products & autism: http://bit.ly/cje1gS
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ruidlopes June 9, 2010 at 9:08 pm
RT @stcaccess: Wonderful article by @jamieknight on Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://bit.ly/a5twDH /via @rickybuchanan #a11y #techcomm
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maccymacx June 9, 2010 at 9:15 pm
RT @stcaccess: Wonderful article by @jamieknight on Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://bit.ly/a5twDH /via @rickybuchanan #a11y #techcomm
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anikto June 9, 2010 at 9:15 pm
RT @stcaccess: Wonderful article by @jamieknight on Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://bit.ly/a5twDH /via @rickybuchanan #a11y #techcomm
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wysiee June 9, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Excellent read: Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://bit.ly/cOQJlp (via @maccymacx)
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DanFLambert June 9, 2010 at 9:38 pm
RT @JamieKnight: Woop my latest article has just gone live! It’s about apple products and autism: http://atmac.org/autism-apple-iphone-macbook-life woop
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whois_com_au June 9, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Autism, iPhone, MacBook, and Life – http://atmac.org/autism-apple-iphone-macbook-life
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BreakingApple June 9, 2010 at 10:46 pm
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mobil_tipps June 10, 2010 at 8:39 am
RT @rogeratpluk2010Autism, iPhone, MacBook, and Life | ATMac http://goo.gl/fb/quzV1
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kevin_rudds_cat June 10, 2010 at 3:31 pm
Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://tinyurl.com/252oogr
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yiannis_k June 10, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://atmac.org/autism-apple-iphone-macbook-life
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BHFT June 10, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Autism and Apple’s technology: How an iPhone helps autistic web developer @JamieKnight to communicate: http://ow.ly/1WC67 via @russmaxdesign
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Catapultology June 10, 2010 at 9:09 pm
Autism, iPhones, MacBooks and iPads – http://bit.ly/cE5Brr
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GlendaWH June 11, 2010 at 6:49 pm
“I could not live without my iPhone.” Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://tinyurl.com/252oogr
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applecraze June 11, 2010 at 8:08 pm
“Autism, iPhone, MacBook, and Life | ATMac” http://bit.ly/cYc8XJ
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JohnDCook June 11, 2010 at 8:52 pm
Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://tinyurl.com/252oogr via @GlendaWH
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swimsy June 11, 2010 at 10:01 pm
RT @GlendaWH: “I could not live without my iPhone.” Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://tinyurl.com/252oogr
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pmohara June 11, 2010 at 10:27 pm
RT @GlendaWH: “I could not live without my iPhone.” Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://tinyurl.com/252oogr
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therextras June 11, 2010 at 10:41 pm
RT @ GlendaWH “I could not live without my iPhone.” #Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://tinyurl.com/252oogr
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stcaccess June 12, 2010 at 2:00 am
Wonderful article by @jamieknight on Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://bit.ly/a5twDH /via @rickybuchanan #a11y #techcomm
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Jennison June 12, 2010 at 10:24 am
Sharing Autism, Apple, #iPhone, MacBook & Life by @jamieknight http://bit.ly/a5twDH via @stcaccess @rickybuchanan
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devrtodd June 12, 2010 at 11:07 am
RT @Jennison Wow. fantasticarticle on autism and technology from a very personal perspective: http://bit.ly/a5twDH
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IMDawg June 12, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Autism, iPhone, MacBook, and Life | ATMac http://bit.ly/cTMMXn
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maddawgg2002 June 12, 2010 at 8:06 pm
RT @Jennison: Sharing Autism, Apple, #iPhone, MacBook & Life by @jamieknight http://bit.ly/a5twDH via @stcaccess @rickybuchanan
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turtlecatpurrz June 12, 2010 at 11:35 pm
Interesting article that shows some accessibility issues I hadn’t seen b4: Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://tinyurl.com/252oogr
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charlvn June 13, 2010 at 5:44 am
Autism, Apple, iPhone, MacBook & Life http://atmac.org/autism-apple-iphone-macbook-life
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MacBookx June 13, 2010 at 10:43 pm
Autism, iPhone, MacBook, and Life | ATMac: Web designer Jamie Knight explains how he uses his iPhone and MacBook t… http://bit.ly/cNPG2G
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ldavidKSC June 16, 2010 at 4:54 am
Great little article on: Autism, iPhone, MacBook, and Life | ATMac http://goo.gl/iawx
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autismtoday June 16, 2010 at 4:54 am
RT @ldavidKSC Great little article on: Autism, iPhone, MacBook, and Life | ATMac http://goo.gl/iawx: Great l… http://tinyurl.com/3777c97
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ARCMEMBERECI June 19, 2010 at 4:55 pm
http://bit.ly/15gSni Autism, iPhone, MacBook, and Life | ATMac: Web designer Jamie Knight explains how he uses his… http://bit.ly/bn8T9o
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Clytie Siddall July 8, 2010 at 6:30 pm
I have severe M.E. with increasing neuro/cog problems, and I also depend greatly on my Mac and iPhone. I also use iCal to remind me to do basic things (e.g. eat, take meds, stay warm/cool), but I use OmniFocus* (and OmniOutliner) to keep track of things. Without these apps I would be quite lost.
I also find QuickSilver (the launcher/shortcut program) helps with controlling my Mac interface, finding things etc., and TextExpander* helps enormously with typing. The Growl notifier also helps me see things I would otherwise miss.
You’re right, Jamie, these devices and their software make it possible for us to cross some of our barriers. I am deeply thankful that I was born into an age with this technology, without which I would be completely isolated and much less able.
* means the app is available for both OSX and iOS
.-= Clytie Siddall’s last blog: Its not personal =-.
Ricky Buchanan August 3, 2010 at 9:33 pm
@Clytie: I’d love to get you to write an article about using the Mac and iPhone as memory supports, if you can find the energy!