Technology-enhanced ABA intervention in children with autism: a pilot study

Abstract

This study investigates whether ICT technology can enhance applied behavior analysis (ABA) rehabilitation therapy for children with autism.A technology-enhanced rehabilitation system to support the daily work of ABA tutors, parents and teachers was created, involving ABA experts and parents of autistic children in the entire design phase, in order to better understand the systemâ\u80\u99s functional requirements and enhance its usability. Thus, combining the ABA programs with a learning analytics tool, an open-source Web application, ABCD SW, was implemented for teaching and monitoring learning in low-functioning autistic children. In a small pilot study the system was tested on seven children with autism enrolled in an intensive intervention lasting 9 months. The children were assessed before and after the pilot test, using Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales to measure their personal and social skills. Test participants showed improved communication, especially in the expressive category (p < 0.05). Subjective feedback from the ABA team involved in the user test confirmed the childrenâ\u80\u99s improvement in socialization, communication and behavior. ABCD SW expedites the intervention (thus increasing its efficiency) and makes it more pleasant for the children. Furthermore, ABCD SW enables caregivers to easily conduct and personalize the intervention, reducing its cost. The study seems to suggest that ABCD SW, and ICT technology in general, can enhance ABA rehabilitation therapy for children with autism, encouraging further investigation of this promising research field

A review of the use of computational technology in applied behavior analysis

“…Concerning the participation of stakeholders in the development of interventions, 21 included, 8 explicitly using Participatory Design methodologies (Artoni et al, 2018). One study used User-Centered Design (UCD) (Muoz, Barcelos, Nol, & Kreisel, 2012).…”

“…In this application, there was no central data server, and the data were stored only on the tablet, so if another professional or family need to access them, it could only be done using the same tablet. In a more recent study, Artoni et al (2018) used the computer as a tool for the therapist to track the progress of children with ASD and also to implement some activities or games. The authors present a system with accesses for both the professional and child.…”

“…Considering the favorable use of technologies for the teaching of specific behaviors for children with ASD, as well as the optimization of the ABA intervention, it becomes necessary to investigate which technologies can aid the ABA intervention. For instance, some works present solutions to support therapists monitoring the child’s behavior at home, as well as guide parents on how to deal with each child’s behavior (Artoni et al, 2018; Venkatesh, Greenhill, Phung, Adams, & Duong, 2012).…”

A scalable and customizable multimedia framework for behavioral intervention

“…Artoni et al. ( 2018 ) presented the ABCD SW, an ABA based system. The software, accessed from the web, was developed using participatory design.…”

“…2019 ), the use of technological resources to foster the intervention process (Artoni et al. 2018 ; Chien et al. 2015 ; Dehkordi and Rias 2014 ; Dillon and Underwood 2012 ; Trevisan et al.…”