Google Program Offers Unexpected Benefits For Kids With Autism

An architectural computer software program is a huge hit among a most unlikely audience: kids with autism.

The software called SketchUp allows users to visually create buildings or neighborhoods on the computer. It capitalizes on visual thinking skills, a strong suit for many children with autism. Another attractive feature for those with autism is that since it’s a computer application, SketchUp does not rely on social skills, a trademark deficit of the disorder.

The affinity for SketchUp was first reported by architects whose children with autism found the program and loved it. But now SketchUp’s owner, Google, offers Project Spectrum, a partnership with school districts and other educational centers to provide the program to kids with autism for free, reports Newsweek. To read more click here and to watch a video demonstration click here.