The information were collected using questionnaires, interview, and you can correspondence logs

This research intends to be certain that the potency of another cellular messaging application named MAAN, for example together from inside the Arabic, to own adults that have ASD, having fun with pre-blog post investigation analysis. The goal of MAAN will be to render an accessible, safe, and easy-to-explore chatting application to have adults which have ASD and therefore support their inclusion inside the people. In this analysis, we hypothesized the second: (1) New accessibility attributes of mobile apps (text-to-message [TTS], speech-to-text message [STT], and correspondence symbols [CS]), which can be put on MAAN, can boost the newest societal and you may interaction feel regarding grownups which have ASD; and you will (2) The effective use of the fresh new application decrease social loneliness from inside the people that have ASD.

Data Design

A blended procedures means is actually implemented inside investigation. Eight grownups which have ASD were expected to utilize MAAN with their caregivers having 16 days. Ahead of the build and development of MAAN, semistructured interviews was basically presented which have professionals to talk about the newest preliminary recommended app design. The brand new software design ended up being altered according to obtained viewpoints. After that, people that have ASD as well as their parents otherwise caregivers was basically questioned so you can explore MAAN getting a period of 16 days most beautiful woman’s body in the world. This stage are implemented about research of the Laugeson et al , hence recommended when acquiring personal and you can communications skills interventions, update is obvious at the sixteen weeks. The research become by getting in touch with anybody willing to participate. Due to COVID-19, the original conferences to your users have been held on line. All the players received a message to have explaining the analysis information, such as for example time and date, and you can a great weblink to own gathering informed agree having a virtual fulfilling for the users, their friends, in addition to their moms and dads. Immediately following acquiring new participants’ agree, they certainly were questioned so you can complete an on-line prestudy questionnaire managed to gather demographical guidance. The parents otherwise caregivers of one’s users was in fact also expected to help you over a short form of this new Public and you may Mental Loneliness Size to have People (SELSA-S) survey . The aim of so it survey would be to dictate the latest public and you will friends loneliness of one’s participants. Inside a virtual fulfilling, the principal researcher explained the latest app has in more detail and you may answered further questions relating to the research. The players was also available with a good hotline in order to statement people point they could face with this data. To guarantee the continuity of data range, the players were questioned so brand new application are always powering on the records.

At the conclusion of the analysis, all the participants having ASD and their caregivers otherwise parents completed the fresh new Mobile App Get Scale: associate version (uMARS) survey. The brand new uMARS is a straightforward and you may legitimate product that is certainly used by avoid-users to assess the caliber of cellular wellness software. It gives a beneficial 20-goods measure complete with 4 objective high quality subscales (wedding, capability, esthetics, and you will recommendations quality) and you can step 1 subjective quality subscale. The goal of so it survey is to try to measure the app’s high quality in terms of usability. The brand new participants’ parents otherwise caregivers in addition to finished the fresh SELSA-S questionnaire once more to search for the participants’ public and you can members of the family loneliness rates after the analysis. Lastly, an effective semistructured interviews which have parents or caregivers try held to gather information about brand new perspective away from software need. New interviews provided questions regarding all round application expertise in terms from function, capability, and you can demands discovered when using the app, together with tricks for further enhancement.

MAAN App Framework and you can Creativity

This new software consisted of another step 3 fundamental have: TTS, STT, and CS. One of the really-understood possess which can also be considered as a variety of assistive technology is new TTS feature, enabling profiles to hear authored text into the a pc, tablet, otherwise tune somebody having difficulties within the understanding and you may decryption words . Also, STT is an assistive technical function utilized by people who endeavor with composing. This kind of assistive tech lets speech is converted into text message by using the computing tool. Both enjoys are particularly commonly used to service addition studies options . The latest app also incorporated the new CS function, which is an essential part regarding AAC-offered tech, and its particular number 1 purpose would be to assist individuals with ASD during the creating phrases. We are not familiar with one chatting application one to supports the brand new utilization of the CS feature. TAWASOL icons had been used for the fresh CS feature. They were developed in 2013 by the Mada Cardio, an assistive technology cardio for the Qatar. Such symbols represent the present day Important Arabic code and are also tailored getting culturally, socially, religiously, and you will linguistically acceptable. TAWASOL is dependent on the brand new AAC Symbols Range and that’s led in order to nonverbal otherwise minimally spoken people that require solution telecommunications solutions .