An Intelligent Ecosystem to Support the Development of Communication Skills in Children With Autism

The term Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) covers conditions such as autism, childhood disintegrative disorder and Asperger syndrome. In this line, the World Health Organization (WHO) points that core symptoms of ASD are: a mixture of impaired capacity for reciprocal socio-communicative interaction and a restricted, stereotyped repetitive repertoire of interests and activities. Therefore, it is fundamental for a person with ASD to develop skills to communicate with his/her peers, share ideas, and express feelings. On those grounds, this chapter presents an intelligent ecosystem to support the development of social communication skills in children with ASD. The ecosystem uses a knowledge model that relies on ontologies, and defines the main elements that will be used for psychological intervention process. The different activities that will be carried out during the therapeutic intervention can be done using a robotic assistant or a Multi-Sensory Stimulation Room. This proposal has been tested with 47 children of regular schools, 9 specialists on ASD, and 36 children with ASD.

Higher Education Transitions and Autism

This chapter intends to examine the segment of adolescent and young adult development; particularly, how interactions with academic establishments create difficult challenges. In the first part of the chapter we review the ASD from neurological angle. Then, we discuss the general problems with counseling of those on the spectrum. The chapter then continues by examining the decisions that individuals on the spectrum and their parents must make. Parents need to make decisions with their children on the spectrum as to level of involvement; the specific concerns needed to be addressed are examined. This chapter also looks at the specific issues that institutions of higher learning need to address if they intend to label themselves as “autism-friendly institutions.” Each office within a college needs to make some adjustments in order to properly serve students on the autism spectrum, and this chapter examines the role of the counseling center, dean's office, academics and residential living.

A Selective Overview of Microswitch-Based Programs for Promoting Adaptive Behaviors of Children With Developmental Disabilities

Assistive technology (AT) refers to any device, equipment and/or piece enabling children with developmental disabilities with self-determination and independence towards the outside world. Within this framework, microswitches represent electronic devices ensuring children with severe to profound developmental and/or multiple disabilities (i.e. a combination of intellectual, sensorial and motor impairments) to the independent access to preferred stimuli. This paper provides a selective overview of some illustrative examples available in the last fifteen years (i.e. 2000-2015) of the empirical evidences published on this topic. Overall, 35 studies were reviewed. Results were widely positive, although some failures occurred. Educational, psychological and rehabilitative implications of the findings were discussed.

Social Stories in Robot-Assisted Therapy for Children With ASD

Mobile technology devices are commonly used as assistive technology to support children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in gaining skills in interpersonal communication. While considered generally safe and effective, there are concerns that a child that is taught to communicate through interactive technologies may become dependent on the virtual world and its rewards, while interpersonal skills are sacrificed or not generalized to real world settings (Bauminger-Zviely, Eden, Zancanaro, Weiss, & Gal, 2013). This chapter theorizes that the anthropomorphic embodiment of humanoid robots may provide a compromise between the real and the virtual worlds. The authors suggest that a humanoid robot can use social stories within an Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) framework to support the acquisition of social interaction skills of children with ASD. The objective of this chapter is to contribute to the current literature by providing a description of this intervention and make suggestions for its implementation using a case study approach.

Case Study Analysis of a Behavior Intervention Service Delivery Model With Autism Spectrum Disorder Students

This chapter focuses on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a designated disability that is becoming more common in schools in the United States. Autism spectrum disorder, as the name suggests, covers a range of symptoms. Some students with this disorder are high functioning and, although lacking in social skills, can be educated in the general education classroom. Students at the other end of the spectrum need someone to assist them with daily living skills and are often non-verbal. The chapter includes a discussion about effective service delivery models for students who have ASD and provides two case studies that use a behavior intervention service delivery model. The chapter also presents intervention strategies that can assist the general education teacher in providing proper help to students with autism spectrum disorder. Finally, the chapter discusses future trends surrounding this disability.

Accessibility and Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

This chapter contributes to important conversations about accessibility in higher education by examining legal issues that shape experiences of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The chapter begins by outlining the relationship between reasonable accommodations and academic success. Then, it provides an overview of ASD in relation to postsecondary education. A substantive portion of the chapter delineates current legal topics, including federal law, case law, and Office of Civil Rights (OCR) letters. Functional limitations associated with ASD are social or sensory in nature. However, legal precedent in the United States defines the major life activity of learning in a manner that does not usually include these components, thereby limiting access to sensory and social accommodations. The chapter concludes by discussing Title IX and students with ASD that experience sexual assault, the value of neurodiversity, and future implications for accessibility as the number of students with ASD in postsecondary education increases.

Eight-Point Project

In this chapter the authors report the outcomes of a year-long action research project in which engaged researchers of different professional fields tried to support non-profit institutions and their staff to develop the Hungarian care system for autistic people, re-instill the above-mentioned courage of individuals and teams (composed of psychologists, social workers, special education teachers and parents) and to invent and adopt new processes and procedures. Coordinated and supported by a central research team, 27 non-profit care institutions in the fields of education, employment, housing and social services, healthcare and crisis intervention from all over Hungary led their own action research.

A Cognitive and Augmentative Communication System for Special Needs Education

A triple component system which can serve basic communication and cognitive needs of developmentally disabled children in the Arab world is proposed. This system is based on a combinational cognitive model which merges Mayer's Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning and Skinner's Operant Conditioning Theory. The system aims to benefit three main groups of children: 1) children with hearing impairments (HI), 2) children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and 3) children with Down syndrome (DS) and other intellectual disabilities (ID), in their struggle for augmentative communication and enhanced learning. This study elaborates on the cognitive models and the methodologies for each of the three proposed components: Pedagogical approach, Dynamic Arabic text translation to multimedia elements, Multimedia-based system for daily living task learning, as well as Cognitive multimedia tutorials and exercises. The proposed Multimedia-based triple component system has been tested on a group of 100 children, 50 with DS and 50 with other IDs. Evaluation results from these studies demonstrated that the multimedia system is effective in terms of cognition and motivation for children with DS and ID.

Transition to Gainful Employment of High School Students With ASD

The following action research study is focused on the effectiveness of the transition to work programs for students with a diagnosis of autism. The research was conducted in a middle-sized school district in Southern California. The study identified graduates from high school who were part of the transition work programs before receiving their certificate of completion or high school diploma. The objective of the study was to establish if the students were employed and to determine the effectiveness of the transition to work program. This qualitative study used surveys and interviews of the graduate students, the students' parents or legal guardians, and the students' previous employers. The researcher obtained information about the effectiveness of the transition work program in relation to the specific training provided by the program in the areas of social skills, knowledge of expectations, sequencing steps of a task and carryout steps until completion, and the ability to ask question when needed.

Potentials of Digital Assistive Technology and Special Education in Kenya

Technology specifically designed for people with disabilities is important in lowering boundaries to education, employment and basic life needs. However, the growth of a vibrant tech sector in Kenya has had little effect on the prevalence of digital assistive technology in the country. In this chapter, the authors report on initial explorations undertaken in Kisumu, Kenya to identify existing strengths, relationships, and gaps in access to digital assistive technology. The goal was to explore opportunities for initiatives in participatory design of assistive technology, using an international community/academic partnership. Relevant literature and projects from the areas of Information and Computer Technology for Development (ICT4D), Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Critical Disability Studies are reviewed and, these theories are grounded in the authors' experience working with stakeholders in the region. The conclusion discusses promising future directions for participatory and collaborative research in Kenya, and more broadly in the East African context.