In an online blog (http://www.blogher.com/ipad-nearmiracle-my-son-autism), Shannon Des Roches Rosa says her autistic son Leo’s life was transformed “when a five-dollar raffle ticket turned into a brand-new iPad.

“Before the iPad, Leo’s autism made him dependent on others for entertainment, play, learning, and communication,” he writes. “With the iPad, Leo electrifies the air around him with independence and daily new skills. People who know Leo are amazed when they see this new boy rocking that iPad.”

Rosa says the larger scale of the iPad makes everything Leo wants to interact with just the right size, and therefore totally accessible. “He may have a hard time writing on paper or typing on a computer keyboard, but he is a world-class iPad swiper and tapper, and his excellent visual memory means he can use that swiping and tapping to navigate between apps and videos with precision,” she writes.