This study intends to be sure the potency of a separate cellular chatting app entitled MAAN, and therefore together inside Arabic, for people having ASD, playing with pre-post investigation analysis. The purpose of MAAN is always to promote an easily accessible, safer, and simple-to-play with messaging application having people with ASD so because of this assistance its addition inside the community. Inside studies, i hypothesized the following: (1) Brand new accessibility options that come with mobile applications (text-to-speech [TTS], speech-to-text message [STT], and you will correspondence symbols [CS]), being used on MAAN, can enhance the public and you will correspondence event of grownups with ASD; and you can (2) The utilization of brand new application decrease social loneliness during the people that have ASD.

Study Framework

A mixed tips strategy is observed within investigation. Seven adults having ASD had been requested to utilize MAAN making use of their caregivers to have 16 days. Ahead of the construction and you may growth of MAAN, semistructured interview was basically conducted with professionals to go over the latest preliminary proposed software framework. New application framework was then altered with regards to the received opinions. Up coming, grownups which have ASD as well as their parents otherwise caregivers were questioned in order to play with MAAN having a time period of sixteen days. It duration was accompanied regarding study by the Laugeson ainsi que al , which recommended when acquiring personal and you will correspondence event treatments, upgrade is only apparent at the sixteen months. The analysis started by contacting somebody happy to take part. On account of COVID-19, the first group meetings towards the players had been used on the web. Every people obtained a message to have detailing the research information, Albansk varme kvinner such as time and date, and you may an effective weblink to have collecting advised consent to own an online fulfilling towards the players, people they know, and their mothers. Immediately following acquiring the new participants’ consent, these people were expected to complete an internet prestudy questionnaire in check to gather demographical guidance. The parents otherwise caregivers of one’s people were plus asked to help you done a primary types of new Public and you will Psychological Loneliness Scale to possess Grownups (SELSA-S) questionnaire . The goal of it survey were to dictate the brand new personal and you can friends loneliness of players. In a virtual conference, the primary researcher informed me this new application keeps in more detail and you can replied further questions relating to the research. The participants was indeed in addition to provided by good hotline to report one question they could face with this research. To guarantee the continuity of data collection, the participants have been expected in order that the fresh application is actually always powering regarding the records.

After the analysis, all the users having ASD as well as their caregivers otherwise moms and dads complete new Cellular Application Get Size: member type (uMARS) questionnaire. Brand new uMARS is an easy and you may reputable tool that can be utilized by prevent-profiles to evaluate the quality of mobile wellness applications. It provides a great 20-item measure filled with cuatro mission high quality subscales (engagement, capability, esthetics, and guidance high quality) and step 1 subjective high quality subscale. The purpose of so it questionnaire would be to assess the app’s top quality with regards to functionality. Brand new participants’ moms and dads or caregivers and additionally completed new SELSA-S questionnaire once again to determine the participants’ social and you can loved ones loneliness costs adopting the study. Lastly, a semistructured interview which have moms and dads or caregivers is actually presented to gather details about the brand new perspective regarding application usage. Brand new interviews integrated questions about the entire app knowledge of conditions regarding efficiency, functionality, and pressures discovered when using the software, and strategies for next enhancement.

MAAN Application Framework and you will Innovation

The software contained another 3 chief keeps: TTS, STT, and you will CS. Among well-recognized possess that may also be regarded as a kind of assistive technologies are brand new TTS feature, that allows pages to listen to written text with the a pc, tablet, otherwise tune people striving during the learning and decoding terminology . Likewise, STT is actually an assistive technical element used by people that struggle which have writing. This kind of assistive tech allows message are converted into text message with the measuring tool. One another has actually are particularly aren’t utilized to support introduction knowledge options . The application in addition to integrated brand new CS feature, which is an important part of AAC-offered innovation, as well as number one goal is to help individuals with ASD when you look at the design phrases. We are not aware of people chatting software you to supports the fresh use of the CS element. TAWASOL symbols was useful for the latest CS element. These people were created in 2013 because of the Mada Cardio, an enthusiastic assistive technology center from inside the Qatar. This type of icons portray the present day Simple Arabic words and are generally customized becoming culturally, socially, religiously, and linguistically acceptable. TAWASOL is dependent on new AAC Icons Range which will be directed to help you nonverbal or minimally spoken people who want solution interaction selection .