Apps for people with autism: Assessment, classification and ranking of the best

Montes, Carmen del Pilar Gallardo; Fuentes, Antonio Rodríguez; Cara, María Jesús Caurcel

doi:10.1016/j.techsoc.2020.101474

Cited by 23 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Close collaboration between teams is also essential to produce better app functionality. Previous studies, such as Sofian et al (2016Sofian et al ( , 2018, Sanromà-Giménez et al (2021) and Gallardo- Montes et al (2021b), argue precisely for the attention that should be given to the criteria linked to an app's appearance, its usability, accessibility and its pedagogical aspects. The criteria considered in the three dimensions mentioned above could serve not only for their analysis but also as basic guidelines for app creation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technologies in the education of children and teenagers with autism: evaluation and classification of apps by work areas

2021

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Mobile apps represent a resource with great potential for encouraging the development of many skills, given the high number of apps available and the quick access to them. Many professionals and families include these resources in the education and therapy of children with autism. For a group with such particular needs, a review of the apps is great importance, since, due to their characteristics, the apps must provide content, design and pedagogical aspects that fit those needs. Through a previously validated system of indicators, 155 free apps on Google Play were evaluated, using “autism” in English and in Spanish. We determined which work area each app developed, as well as which were the most multifaceted. Having evaluated the recorded data, we calculated frequencies, percentages and reliability, as well as parametric contrast and correlation statistics. We found that the focus of most apps was on executive functions, language and entertainment, with a minority devoted to the emotional sphere or time management. However, 98.06% of the apps worked on several areas, which makes them more functional but with the downside of not being specialized. Most apps were placed in the “recommendable” level but with margin for improvement in increasing their functionality.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technologies in the education of children and teenagers with autism: evaluation and classification of apps by work areas

2021

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“…With the evolution of ICT, new tools have emerged such as applications that are small computer programs that help the user in a specific task, be it professional, leisure, entertainment or any other nature. A study, based on an exhaustive research, presented the classification of apps that currently exist aimed at children with ASD [ 29 ]: Applications for communication and language: These types of applications work as tools that help children develop their communication and speech skills; Applications for emotions, interaction and social behavior: This variant, on the other hand, encourages inclusion in social groups as well as helps regulate the control of emotions; Applications for games and leisure: These applications perform the entertainment function only, which is also a very important aspect that must be considered for children with ASD; Applications for support tools: These applications work as support in teaching and coexistence towards children with ASD, for example, pictograms. …”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Method for the Development of Accessible Mobile Serious Games for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Jaramillo-Alcázar

Arias

Albornoz

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) covers a range of neurodevelopmental disorders that begin in early childhood and affects developmental activities. This condition can negatively influence the gaining of knowledge, skills, and abilities, such as communication. Over time, different techniques and methods have been put into practice to teach and communicate with children with ASD. With the rapid advancement in the field of technology, specifically in smartphones, researchers have generated creative applications, such as mobile serious games, to help children with ASD. However, usability and accessibility have not been often taken into account in the development of this type of applications. For that reason, in this work we considered that both, usability and especially accessibility are a very important differentiators for the quality and efficiency of mobile serious games. Our approach has two important contributions, the incorporation of accessibility as a fundamental requirement in the development of a mobile serious game and the proposal of a method for the development of this type of applications for children with ASD, a method that can be used by other developers.

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“…Neither are there assessment instruments on the training in and use of ICT by the various professionals who work with people with autism. Nor, more specifically, are there any studies on the use of apps, despite their huge growth in the education, therapy and psychopedagogic intervention for people with autism [40,[49][50][51][52][53]. It was therefore necessary to create an instrument that evaluates the opinion and training received on ICT and apps by the different professionals who work with people with functional diversity, in general, and with people with autism in particular, as well as their requirements and possible uses for better care.…”

Section: Conceptual Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychometric Properties of the Questionnaire “Demands and Potentials of ICT and Apps for Assisting People with Autism” (DPTIC-AUT-Q)

et al. 2021

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Background: In education, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has gone from being a convenient option to a permanent necessity. For students and people with functional diversity, it is of seminal importance. It is therefore worth learning how professionals perceive digital tools and apps for people and students with functional diversity and autism: its requirements and potential. As no instrument to measure this exists, we have designed a questionnaire on the requirements and potentials of ICT and apps for assisting people with autism (DP-TIC-AUT). Methods: Our questionnaire has been subjected to content validity using a panel of experts, and construct validity, using Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Cronbach’s alpha and Composite Reliability. Results: Optimal results were obtained in the above values, thus confirming the validity of DP-TIC-AUT for use in the contexts of its validation. Conclusions: DP-TIC-AUT is a valid instrument. This opens up a range of possibilities for research, firstly descriptive, then of other kinds, and for the adaptation of the instrument to other contexts. This is the first step in improving the creation and use of ICT for people with autism.

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Apps for people with autism: Assessment, classification and ranking of the best

Cited by 23 publications

References 16 publications

Technologies in the education of children and teenagers with autism: evaluation and classification of apps by work areas

Technologies in the education of children and teenagers with autism: evaluation and classification of apps by work areas

Method for the Development of Accessible Mobile Serious Games for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Psychometric Properties of the Questionnaire “Demands and Potentials of ICT and Apps for Assisting People with Autism” (DPTIC-AUT-Q)

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