scholarly journals Designing accessible visual programming tools for children with autism spectrum condition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Misbahu S. Zubair ◽  
David J. Brown ◽  
Thomas Hughes-Roberts ◽  
Matthew Bates
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairments ◽  
Interactive Media ◽  
Visual Representations ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Visual Programming ◽  
Autism Spectrum Condition ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Programming Tools ◽  
Spectrum Condition

AbstractVisual programming tools allow users to create interactive media projects such as games and animations using visual representations of programming concepts. Although these tools have been shown to have huge potential for teaching children, research has shown that they may not be accessible for children with cognitive impairments, including those with autism spectrum condition. Therefore, this study proposes a set of recommendations for the design of accessible visual programming tools for children with autism spectrum condition. Semi-structured interviews with experts ($$n=7$$ n = 7 ) were conducted and thematically analysed to identify initial recommendations. A second set of semi-structured interviews with a subset of the initial experts ($$n=3$$ n = 3 ) were then conducted to validate and produce a final set of recommendations.

scholarly journals A method of creating personae for children with autism spectrum condition: application and revision

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-122
Author(s):  
Misbahu S. Zubair ◽  
David Brown ◽  
Thomas Hughes-Roberts ◽  
Matthew Bates
Keyword(s):  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Visual Programming ◽  
Autism Spectrum Condition ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Programming Tool ◽  
Qualitative Feedback ◽  
User Data ◽  
Spectrum Condition

Purpose Personae are simple tools for describing users, their characteristics and their goals. They are valuable tools when designing for a specific group of users, such as children with autism spectrum condition (ASC). The purpose of this paper is to propose, validate and revise a methodology for creating accurate, data grounded personae for children with ASC. Design/methodology/approach The proposed method is based mainly on Cooper et al.’s (2007) persona construction method. It proposes gathering and analysing qualitative data from users and experts to either create a new persona or extend an existing one. The method is then applied to create personae for the design of a visual programming tool for children with ASC. Based on the results of the application, observations and lessons learnt, a revised version of the method is proposed. Findings The method’s combined use of user data and expert knowledge produced a set of personae that have been well reviewed by experts so far. The method’s use of a questionnaire to validate personae also produced relevant qualitative feedback. On review, possible downsides of extending existing personae were identified. Therefore, a revised method was introduced, eliminating the need to extend existing personae, and stressing the importance of utilising user data, expert knowledge and feedback. Originality/value This paper addresses the need for a well-defined method for creating data grounded personae that accurately describe the characteristics and goals of children with ASC. Such personae can be used to design and develop more accessible and usable products.

scholarly journals ‘I was exhausted trying to figure it out’: The experiences of females receiving an autism diagnosis in middle to late adulthood

Autism ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Leedham ◽  
Andrew R Thompson ◽  
Richard Smith ◽  
Megan Freeth
Keyword(s):  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
The Self ◽  
Autism Spectrum Condition ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Late Adulthood ◽  
Spectrum Condition ◽  
Fitting In ◽  
The Impact

Females often receive autism spectrum condition diagnoses later than males, leaving needs misunderstood. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of female adults diagnosed with an autism spectrum condition in middle to late adulthood. Eleven autistic females diagnosed over the age of 40 years completed semi-structured interviews, analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Four superordinate themes emerged: A hidden condition (pretending to be normal and fitting in; mental health and mislabelling), The process of acceptance (initial reactions and search for understanding; re-living life through a new lens), The impact of others post-diagnosis (initial reactions; stereotyped assumptions), and A new identity on the autism spectrum (negotiating relationships, connections and community; changing well-being and views of the self; the meaning of diagnosis). Findings highlight several factors not previously identified that affect late diagnosis in females, including widespread limited understandings of others. Diagnosis was experienced by several participants as facilitating transition from being self-critical to self-compassionate, coupled with an increased sense of agency. Participants experienced a change in identity that enabled greater acceptance and understanding of the self. However, this was painful to adjust to at such a late stage.

scholarly journals Typicality and emotion in the voice of children with autism spectrum condition: evidence across three languages

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Marchi ◽  
Björn Schuller ◽  
Simon Baron-Cohen ◽  
Ofer Golan ◽  
Sven Bölte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Autism Spectrum Condition ◽  
Spectrum Condition ◽  
The Voice

scholarly journals The influence of labelling on symbolic understanding and dual representation in autism spectrum condition

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 239694152093172
Author(s):  
Bethany R Wainwright ◽  
Melissa L Allen ◽  
Kate Cain
Keyword(s):  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Free Play ◽  
Implicit Measure ◽  
Autism Spectrum Condition ◽  
Dual Representation ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Spectrum Condition ◽  
Symbolic Understanding ◽  
Exploration Phase

Background and aims Children with autism spectrum condition often have specific difficulties understanding that pictorial symbols refer to real-world objects in the environment. We investigated the influence of labelling on the symbolic understanding and dual representation of children with autism spectrum condition. Methods Children with autism spectrum condition and typically developing children were shown four coloured photographs of objects that had different functions across four separate trials. The participants were given either a novel label alongside a description of the object’s function or a description of the object’s function without a label. Children were then given 30 seconds to interact with an array of stimuli (pictures and objects) in a mapping test and in a generalisation test for each trial. This exploration phase allowed for spontaneous word–picture–referent mapping through free-play, providing an implicit measure of symbolic understanding. Results We found no significant difference in word–picture–referent mapping between groups and conditions. Both groups more often performed the described action on the target object in the exploration phase regardless of condition. Conclusions and implications Our results suggest that a spontaneous measure of symbolic understanding (such as free-play) may reveal competencies in word–picture–referent mapping in autism spectrum condition.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document