Customization Support in Computer-Based Technologies for Autism: A Systematic Mapping Study

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social interaction and communication difficulties, along with narrow and repetitive interests. Being a spectrum dis...

Using ‘Ambient Intelligence’ for Compensating Intellectual Difficulties of People with Severe Learning Difficulties and/or Autistic Spectrum Disorders

This paper describes a set of services and software created so that what is called ‘ambient intelligence’ would compensate for the ‘intellectual difficulties’ that people from this collective have. Existing concepts and standards of ambient intelligence are strongly reinforced through the use of the exact current user’s position as a key factor to calculate how the ‘digital home’ or any ‘digital environment’ behaves at every moment. This will be obtained using both Wi-Fi personal locators (embedded in necklaces or bracelets) and Wi-Fi communication from the PDA. This mix, together with individual capabilities and preferences, makes the development of a wide range of services possible when c…

Using Tic-Tac software to reduce anxiety-related behaviour in adults with autism and learning difficulties during waiting periods: A pilot study

Deficits in the perception of time and processing of changes across time are commonly observed in individuals with autism. This pilot study evaluated the efficacy of the use of the software tool Tic-Tac, designed to make time visual, in three adults with autism and learning difficulties. This research focused on applying the tool in waiting situations where the participants exhibited anxiety-related behaviour. The intervention followed a baseline and intervention (AB) design, and a partial interval recording procedure was used to code the presence of stereotypes, nervous utterances, wandering or other examples of nervousness during the selected waiting situations. The results showed that t…

Personalization of Computer-Based Technologies for Autism: An Open Challenge for Software Engineering?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social interaction and communication difficulties, along with narrow and repetitive interests. Being an spectrum disorder, ASD affects individuals with a large range of combinations of challenges along dimensions such intelligence, social skills, or sensory processing. Hence, any computer-based technology for ASD ought to be personalized to meet the particular profile and needs of each person that uses it. Within the realm of Software Engineering, there is an extensive body of research and practice on software customization whose ultimate goal is meeting the diverse needs of software stakeholders in an efficient…

Web accessibility for individuals with cognitive deficits

Tim Berners-Lee claimed in 2001 that “the power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect”. A considerable amount of work has been done to make the web accessible to those with sensory or motor disability, with an increasing number of government and enterprise intranet webs being “accessible”, and also with some consortiums and groups seriously approaching this commitment. Some authors, such as Harrysson, have already highlighted the need for a cognitively accessible web. However, in spite of good intentions, there has been little work to date that has tackled this task. At least until now, the existing WAI and NI4 recommendations …

Agency and Presence: A Common Dependence on Subjectivity?

This paper argues that presence, as shown in virtual environments, can usefully be seen as comprising various subtypes and that these in turn may have common conceptual and ontological features with a sense of agency as defined by Russell (1996, Agency: Its Role in Mental Development, Erlbaum.). Furthermore, an analysis of Russell's characterization of the concept of agency may be useful for acquiring insight into the sense of presence itself and the variables affecting it. Empirical evidence from cognitive developmental research and the positive results of attempts to develop symbolic understanding in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in virtual environments suggest that presenc…

A preliminary investigation assessing the basic digital capabilities of minimally verbal children on the autism spectrum with intellectual disability

Purpose Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can demonstrate a preference for using digital technologies which can represent a relative strength within the autism community. Such a strength would have implications for digitally mediated interventions and support for autism. However, research to date has not developed a methodology for assessing the capabilities of minimally verbal children on the autism spectrum with intellectual disability (ID) to use digital technology. Design/methodology/approach Six minimally verbal children with ASD and ID undertook an accessible assessment that identified what capabilities for interacting with a digital tablet device they could and could not …

Enhancing daily living skills in four adults with autism spectrum disorder through an embodied digital technology-mediated intervention

Abstract Background The acquisition of daily living skills is fundamental in the education of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), especially of those with Intellectual Disability (ID), because this can significantly contribute to their autonomy, self-confidence and overall life satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of an embodied Digital Technology (DT)-mediated intervention, compared to a Treatment-As-Usual (TAU) intervention, for enhancing two daily living skills: washing dishes and doing laundry. Method Four males of between 25 and 37 years old with ASD and ID participated in the study. The two interventions were based on audio and picture prompting ins…

SMART-ASD, model and ontology definition: a technology recommendation system for people with autism and/or intellectual disabilities

There are many studies that encourage the use of mobile device solutions to improve the skills of people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). There are a number of apps that may be useful for people with ASD, some specifically designed for them, and others not. The main goal of the SMART-ASD project is to assist in the selection of adequate technology and all related accessories. In this project, the users' data are maintained into an ontology. This ontology also includes information about devices, apps, and protection. The system is a hybrid recommendation system that guides parents and professionals in the selection of the adequate technology. This paper presents the SMART-ASD model an…

Development of symbolic play through the use of virtual reality tools in children with autistic spectrum disorders: two case studies.

Difficulties in understanding symbolism have been documented as characteristic of autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs). In general, virtual reality (VR) environments offer a set of potential advantages for educational intervention in ASD. In particular, VR offers the advantage, for teaching pretend play and for understanding imagination, of it being possible to show these imaginary transformations explicitly. This article reports two case studies of children with autism (aged 8:6 and 15:7, both male), examining the effectiveness of using a VR tool specifically designed to work on teaching understanding of pretend play. The results, confirmed by independent observers, showed a significant adv…

Information and Communication Technologies to Support Early Screening of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

 The aim of this systematic review is to identify recent digital technologies used to detect early signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in preschool children (i.e., up to six years of age). A systematic literature search was performed for English language articles and conference papers indexed in Pubmed, PsycInfo, ERIC, CINAHL, WoS, IEEE, and ACM digital libraries up until January 2020. A follow-up search was conducted to cover the literature published until December 2020 for the usefulness and interest in this area of research during the Covid-19 emergency. In total, 2427 articles were initially retrieved from databases search. Additional 481 articles were retrieved from follow-up searc…

Virtual reality school for children with learning difficulties

This paper describes the process starting from the identification of educational needs of children with learning difficulties to the design of a fully interactive virtual school, where it is possible to learn about the physical and social world. The fundamentals of this design are the exclusive advantages that Real Time Graphics offer for developing tools in which children can learn while playing. This development has been done in the framework of a strongly-funded project by the Spanish Government. This ongoing project is in its final stage of development and will produce tools which are valid both for special and mainstream education, ready to be used and tested over final users.

An ontology-based recommendation system for people with autism and technology apps

The research about the use of technology for persons with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has rapidly increased in the last decade. This fact has accompanied with the sharp development and use of apps for mobile devices by these people and their caregivers. The election of the adequate apps for persons with autism is a very difficult task, with many variables involved with the person with ASD, the family, the practitioners and the community where they live. This paper describes a recommendation system that reuse an ontology, which supports the information about the apps and all the variables previously cited. The data about the apps are automatically obtained from recognized web repositorie…

AUT898331_Supplemental_material_Appendix_II – Supplemental material for A framework of evidence-based practice for digital support, co-developed with and for the autism community

Supplemental material, AUT898331_Supplemental_material_Appendix_II for A framework of evidence-based practice for digital support, co-developed with and for the autism community by Vanessa Zervogianni, Sue Fletcher-Watson, Gerardo Herrera, Matthew Goodwin, Patricia Pérez-Fuster, Mark Brosnan and Ouriel Grynszpan in Autism

Assessing Virtual Reality as a Tool for Support Imagination

One of the major developments of the second year of human life is the emergence of the ability to pretend (Leslie, 1987). Many children with autism use no pretend play or are impoverished in the quality of their play (Baron-Cohen, 1989). The key factor of our Virtual Reality Software in relation to Pretend Play is the possibility to really show the object transformations we propose when pretending. We hope those technics to drive people with autism to a better understanding of pretense and to enable them to develop a play with more quality.

Assessing B.A.Bar Device as a Tool for Supporting Labour Integration of a Severely Affected Person with Autism Who Carries Out Classifying Tasks

This paper describes the case research carried out to demonstrate the utility of a specific technical aid (adapted bar code reader) to train an adult with severe autism in the performance of a work task of classifying products in a shop. The individual with autism who participated in this research has a combination of difficulties (degree of 76 percent of disability and unable to learn to read and write) and abilities (being able to follow single verbal instructions). Positive results are expounded together with considerations about the desirable features of future products that would overcome the mere training process and also be useful for the final and real task in any working environmen…

A framework of evidence-based practice for digital support, co-developed with and for the autism community

A wide array of digital supports (such as apps) have been developed for the autism community, many of which have little or no evidence to support their effectiveness. A Delphi study methodology was used to develop a consensus on what constitutes good evidence for digital supports among the broader autism community, including autistic people and their families, as well as autism-related professionals and researchers. A four-phase Delphi study consultation with 27 panel members resulted in agreement on three categories for which evidence is required: reliability, engagement and effectiveness of the technology. Consensus was also reached on four key sources of evidence for these three categor…

Abstract concept and imagination teaching through Virtual Reality in people with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Computer graphics applications in the education process of people with learning difficulties

This paper describes the use of Real Time graphic applications as educational tools, specifically oriented to working with people who have certain learning difficulties. We first focus on identifying the most relevant traits (from a psychological point of view) of those disorders, then we continue by analysing the advantages of graphics in Real Time in this context, and how they can be used to complement the conventional teaching methods. Finally, we review the main characteristics of two applications belonging to this category, which serve as a practical example of this encounter between education and technology.

On the Development of VR and AR Learning Contents for Children on the Autism Spectrum

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an umbrella term used to group a range of brain development disorders. The learning profile of most people with ASD is mainly visual, and VR and AR technologies offer important advantages to provide a visually based mean for gaining access to educational contents. The prices of VR and AR glasses and helmets have fallen. Also, a number of tools that facilitate the development and publication of AR and VR contents have recently appeared. Therefore, a scenario of opportunity for new developments has appeared in this field. This chapter offers guidelines for developing AR and VR learning contents for people on the autism spectrum and analyses those guidelines f…

A Focused Mapping Study on Customization in Interactive Technologies for Autism

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social interaction and communication difficulties, along with narrow and repetitive interests. Being an spectrum disorder, ASD affects individuals with a large range of combinations of challenges along dimensions such intelligence, social skills, or sensory processing. Hence, any interactive technology for ASD ought to be customizable to fit the particular profile of each individual that uses it. The goal of this paper is to characterize the support of customization in this area. To do so, we performed a focused study that identifies the dimensions of ASD where customization has been considered on wearable and n…