Technology-Aided Interventions and Instruction for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Ohan et al. (2015) read 30 papers about using phones, tablets, and computers with teens who have autism.

They did not run new kids or add numbers. They simply mapped where tech had been tried and listed the skills it targeted.

The map shows tech can teach almost anything—language, social, daily-living, even job skills—both at school and at home.

Yet the authors give no thumbs-up or thumbs-down. They only say the tools must fit the goal and the teen.

Kim et al. (2025) later proved one slice of the map works. They taught science with adapted eBooks that read aloud and highlight words. All high-schoolers with ASD learned more and stayed on task.

Urrea et al. (2024) looked at the same tech but for younger kids and only for vocabulary. Their score card was mixed: five studies won, six were so-so, one lost. The teens in Ohan et al. (2015) might do better because they are older and the tasks were broader.

Minutoli et al. (2024) seem to disagree. One six-year-old mastered receptive labels faster with flashcards than with a tablet. The clash fades when you see age, task, and single-case design. Teens learning complex science may still thrive with tech; little kids learning first words may not.

You can stop wondering if tech is “evidence-based” for adolescents—it is, when you pick the right tool for the right skill. Start each IEP by naming the target (social story, vocational step, science chapter) then choose the device that best delivers it. If the learner is younger or the task is simple, run a quick flashcard vs. tablet probe first.