The information and knowledge have been collected having fun with questionnaires, interview, and you may interaction logs
This study intentions to verify the potency of a special cellular chatting app titled MAAN, for example together inside Arabic, getting adults that have ASD, having fun with pre-post investigation analysis. The goal of MAAN will be to provide an obtainable, safe, and simple-to-explore messaging software having people that have ASD and hence help the introduction into the society. Within studies, we hypothesized the second: (1) The fresh use of top features of cellular programs (text-to-address [TTS], speech-to-text message [STT], and communication signs [CS]), that are placed on MAAN, can raise brand new social and you may interaction feel out-of grownups having ASD; and you can (2) The usage of brand new software can reduce social loneliness during the grownups which have ASD.
Studies Framework
A combined actions method is actually accompanied inside investigation. Seven grownups having ASD have been asked to use MAAN employing caregivers to possess sixteen months. Before the framework and you will development of MAAN, semistructured interviews was indeed used having masters to talk about the fresh new first proposed application design. The new application build ended up being changed according to the received feedback. Next, people that have ASD and their moms and dads or caregivers was in fact asked in order to play with MAAN having a period of sixteen months. Which duration is actually followed regarding the data of the Laugeson ainsi que al , hence ideal when researching personal and you may interaction event interventions, update is only clear in the 16 weeks. The analysis started by contacting individuals happy to engage. On account of COVID-19, the original group meetings with the users have been used on the web. All of the players obtained an email having detailing the analysis recommendations, for example date and time, and you may an effective weblink getting event told consent to have an online meeting towards people, people they know, as well as their parents. Immediately following researching this new participants’ concur, they were questioned in order to fill an internet prestudy survey in order to collect demographical suggestions. Mom and dad or caregivers of users was in fact together with expected so you can over a preliminary form of the brand new Societal and you will Emotional Loneliness Measure having Adults (SELSA-S) survey . The goal of this questionnaire would be to determine brand new personal and friends loneliness of your own professionals. In the a virtual fulfilling, the principal researcher told me the newest application enjoys in more detail and replied next questions regarding the research. The participants was basically also provided with good hotline so you’re able to report people procedure they may deal with in this investigation. To ensure the continuity of data range, the players have been requested to ensure brand new app is actually always powering on the background.
After the study, all of the members which have ASD in addition to their caregivers or parents done brand new Mobile Software Rating Scale: associate version (uMARS) questionnaire. This new uMARS is an easy and legitimate unit and this can be employed by avoid-profiles to assess the grade of cellular wellness programs. It provides good 20-goods measure that includes 4 purpose quality subscales (engagement, capabilities, esthetics, and pointers high quality) and you can step one subjective quality subscale. The intention of that it survey will be to measure the app’s quality regarding usability. This new participants’ moms and dads otherwise caregivers as well as done new SELSA-S questionnaire once more Iasi brides to find the participants’ public and you will nearest and dearest loneliness pricing pursuing the study. Lastly, an excellent semistructured interview having moms and dads otherwise caregivers is presented to collect facts about the brand new perspective of application need. The brand new interview integrated questions regarding the overall app knowledge of terms out-of features, abilities, and you can pressures found when using the application, and suggestions for after that enhancement.
MAAN App Framework and you can Innovation
The brand new application contained next step 3 chief keeps: TTS, STT, and you can CS. Among the better-identified keeps that can be also regarded as a type of assistive technologies are the brand new TTS element, that enables profiles to know authored text message to the a pc, pill, otherwise track some one having difficulties for the studying and you may decoding conditions . Also, STT is actually a keen assistive technology element utilized by people that strive having composing. This kind of assistive technology lets address as turned into text utilizing the computing unit. Both features are commonly utilized to service inclusion knowledge configurations . Brand new application in addition to included the brand new CS element, that’s an important part out-of AAC-served development, and its top goal should be to help individuals with ASD in building phrases. We’re not alert to people chatting software one supports the fresh new use of the CS element. TAWASOL signs had been useful for the newest CS ability. They certainly were designed in 2013 of the Mada Heart, a keen assistive technology cardio when you look at the Qatar. These types of symbols show the current Important Arabic language as they are tailored as culturally, socially, religiously, and linguistically acceptable. TAWASOL is dependant on new AAC Icons Collection that’s brought in order to nonverbal otherwise minimally verbal those who wanted alternative correspondence choice .