In My Language

1. Reactions
At first, I was a little disturbed by the video. The noises and actions of the person were very unusual when compared to most of society. I didn't understand what she was trying to say or do. When she went to the second part of the video and did the translation, I was amazed by everything that she could convey. I didn't realize that she had the ability to communicate with people like that. Her sentences were fluid and complex. I had no idea that she would be able to talk like that. It's really amazing what technology can do to assist people with disabilities. However, it's really depressing to think that there are people in the world who wouldn't treat this girl like a person because of her disability. There is nothing she can do to prevent or change her disability. This video showed me that as a society, we need to learn about people with disabilities so we can become more accepting of them.

2. Has your impression of autistic people changed after viewing this video?
Yes, my impression has definitely changed. I had no idea what people with autism were capable of when given assistive technology. I always thought that they were less intelligent than others, but I know that is not true after viewing this video.

3. How has technology changed her life and allowed her to communicate?
The girl is able to use a computer to type out what she wants to say. The computer then says what she has typed. Without this technology, this girl would have no way to communicate with the outside world and people would be confused and reluctant to interact with her. With the use of the computer, she can show people that she is a real human being.

4. Do you think You Tube should be allowed in schools? Why or why not?
I definitely think You Tube should be allowed in schools. Although there is alot of inappropriate content, students can benefit from viewing videos such as this one. For students who have never met an autistic person before, this video gives them the opportunity to see how one may act and speak. I think You Tube can be a useful source for video clips to enhance a classroom discussion and give students more information about a topic. However, there should be some sort of block or firewall set up by the school so maybe only teachers could access the site. Students would be able to access it only with teacher permission and supervision.