This research plans to make certain the potency of another type of cellular messaging application entitled MAAN, and thus together in the Arabic, to possess grownups with ASD, having fun with pre-article investigation research. The purpose of MAAN will be to offer an available, secure, and easy-to-explore messaging application to secret benefits aplikacija possess people having ASD and therefore support its inclusion for the community. Inside study, we hypothesized another: (1) This new accessibility options that come with cellular software (text-to-speech [TTS], speech-to-text message [STT], and communication signs [CS]), which can be applied to MAAN, can enhance the societal and you will correspondence experience from people that have ASD; and you may (2) The usage brand new app can reduce social loneliness inside adults which have ASD.
Studies Design
A mixed tips approach try adopted contained in this analysis. 7 adults having ASD was expected to use MAAN making use of their caregivers having 16 days. Before the framework and you may growth of MAAN, semistructured interview was conducted that have professionals to discuss the initial proposed application build. The new software build ended up being modified according to the obtained feedback. Then, people with ASD and their parents otherwise caregivers was basically asked to use MAAN to own a time period of sixteen weeks. So it stage is followed regarding the data from the Laugeson ainsi que al , and this suggested when acquiring personal and you will communications skills treatments, upgrade is only clear from the 16 weeks. The study started because of the getting in touch with anyone prepared to engage. On account of COVID-19, the first group meetings to the professionals was in fact conducted on the internet. The professionals obtained a message to possess detailing the study pointers, eg date and time, and a weblink for collecting informed agree having a virtual meeting towards the people, their friends, and their parents. Immediately after getting the newest participants’ consent, these were expected so you can complete an on-line prestudy survey manageable to collect demographical suggestions. The mother and father or caregivers of players was in fact in addition to questioned to help you done a short version of the brand new Public and you will Emotional Loneliness Size having Adults (SELSA-S) questionnaire . The purpose of this survey was to dictate this new societal and you can family members loneliness of one’s participants. During the an online appointment, the principal researcher informed me the brand new software enjoys in detail and answered next questions regarding the research. The players was in fact plus provided by an effective hotline so you can declaration any matter they may face with this data. To guarantee the continuity of data collection, the players were questioned so the new application was always powering regarding records.
After the research, all the players which have ASD as well as their caregivers otherwise parents finished the fresh new Mobile Application Rating Level: associate variation (uMARS) questionnaire. The brand new uMARS is an easy and you can legitimate device which is often utilized by avoid-pages to evaluate the caliber of cellular fitness applications. It includes a great 20-item level including 4 objective top quality subscales (engagement, abilities, esthetics, and you can recommendations top quality) and you can 1 subjective high quality subscale. The reason for this survey would be to assess the app’s high quality when it comes to efficiency. The newest participants’ moms and dads otherwise caregivers plus complete the new SELSA-S survey once more to choose the participants’ public and you will family members loneliness prices after the analysis. Finally, an excellent semistructured interview with moms and dads or caregivers try used to get factual statements about the fresh framework regarding app utilize. The newest interview included questions regarding the general application knowledge of terms away from features, features, and you can challenges discovered while using the app, in addition to methods for subsequent enhancement.
MAAN Application Design and you may Advancement
The brand new software consisted of next 3 main have: TTS, STT, and you may CS. Among the many better-recognized have that even be thought to be a type of assistive technologies are the fresh TTS function, which allows profiles to listen to composed text to your a computer, pill, or tune anyone stressed in learning and you will decoding terminology . Likewise, STT is a keen assistive technology ability employed by those who battle which have writing. This style of assistive technology allows speech are turned into text message with the computing unit. Each other features have become aren’t employed to help inclusion training configurations . This new application in addition to incorporated the new CS feature, that’s an important part off AAC-offered technology, and its particular number 1 goal is to assist individuals with ASD inside creating phrases. We are really not conscious of people chatting application one aids the latest utilization of the CS function. TAWASOL icons was basically useful the latest CS element. These people were created in 2013 because of the Mada Cardiovascular system, a keen assistive technical cardio for the Qatar. This type of icons depict the present day Important Arabic language and generally are tailored to be culturally, socially, consistently, and you may linguistically appropriate. TAWASOL is dependant on this new AAC Icons Range which can be led to help you nonverbal otherwise minimally verbal people who require option telecommunications selection .