Technological Designs to Improve Social Connection for Autistic Children
Abstratct
As more and more researches show that using computers and technical applications can improve the social skills of children with autism, technological intervention becomes a treatment alternative for autistic children to obtain self-care skills. This research paper explores nine published articles that focus on various technological approaches which might link autistic children to the social world.
The paper states how each research study is conducted, the critical findings, and the relations between the outcome and HCI for future development. The structure of this report is organized based on thematic and methodological style. Moreover, the paper also discusses how human computer interaction methods can be applied to understand the complexity of autism.
Type
Persoanl Research
Skills
User Research
Literature Review
Duration
10 weeks
(Sep - Nov 2019)
Why do I choose this topic?
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My two-year experience as a teacher. Social development could be influential for kids in their childhood.
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Technological approach can be designed as a training tool to enhance social connections for autistic children in the real world.
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The research relates to brain science, sociology, and cognitive psychology. Human Computer Interaction can combine computer technology with these fields.
Autism, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), is a development disorder can typically be discovered before a child turns three years old.
According to CDC, 1 in 42 children was identified with autism. in the United States in 2016.
ASD children have difficulties with social skills, repetitive behaviors, and verbal or nonverbal communication.
Researches show that early intervention could lead to positive results later in life for children with autism.
Interesting Findings from the Research
1. Verbal Communication Training Tool
Research results verified that robotic animals could be an assistive tool to motivate verbal interactions and ameliorate the social development of children with autism.
2. Nonverbal Communication Approaches
In social psychology, nonverbal communication such as body language, facial expressions, gestures, and eye contact plays an important role in sending and receiving information between one and the others.
Studies show that eye-tracking technology could be an applicable technique to realize the reasons for emotion recognition as a deficiency for autistic people. Researches indicated that reality simulation designed games, such as an avatar-based game can be considered a training tool for children with autism to build up stronger connections with the social environment.
Conclusion & Future Study
The results of all the studies I collected show technological designs can enhance the social connection for children with autism. Some researches include some limitations, such as lacking individualization for all the participants, and a small sample size in an experimental study environment. Therefore, future research should focus on individual differences within the ASD, larger group samples, longitudinal experiments, and in-depth understanding in the brain activity of children with autism. More portable and low-cost technological devices for building social connections for autistic children should be developed in order to reach universal usage. Furthermore, current studies only show technological applications relevant to visual, audio, and tactile sensations. Another recommendation I have is for researchers to develop more interactive designs with the involvement of the sense of taste and smell. From the HCI perspective, the design process of all the social practice applications for autistic children should also include the participation of teachers, parents, and caregivers because they also play a crucial role in engaging ASD children in social life.