The data have been gathered playing with questionnaires, interview, and you may telecommunications logs

This study intends to make certain the effectiveness of a separate mobile messaging app entitled MAAN, which means that together inside Arabic, getting people having ASD, having fun with pre-post research studies. The aim of MAAN is always to give an easily accessible, secure, and simple-to-explore chatting app having grownups that have ASD and therefore support the addition from inside the society. Within investigation, we hypothesized the next: (1) This new entry to top features of cellular software (text-to-message [TTS], speech-to-text message [STT], and you will communications icons [CS]), being applied to MAAN, can enhance the fresh personal and you can communication skills of adults that have ASD; and you may (2) The usage the fresh new software can reduce social loneliness inside the adults which have ASD.

Analysis Build

A combined procedures strategy try then followed contained in this studies. Eight adults having ASD was basically asked to use MAAN making use of their caregivers having 16 months. Prior to the design and you may development of MAAN, semistructured interview was indeed held having advantages to talk about new original recommended app design. The app construction was then changed with regards to the gotten opinions. Next, people that have ASD and their mothers otherwise caregivers was questioned to help you use MAAN to own a time period of sixteen days. That it stage is actually used regarding study of the Laugeson ainsi que al , and that advised that in case searching social and you can telecommunications experiences treatments, upgrade is only clear during the sixteen months. The analysis already been by the contacting people ready to take part. Because of COVID-19, the initial group meetings towards the users had been presented online. Every members obtained an email having detailing the research advice, like date and time, and you may an effective weblink for collecting told agree to possess a virtual appointment into professionals, their friends, in addition to their moms and dads. Once choosing the new participants’ agree, they certainly were questioned so you can complete an on-line prestudy questionnaire under control to gather demographical guidance. The parents or caregivers of your players were including expected so you’re able to complete a primary form of the fresh new Personal and you may Mental Loneliness Measure to have People (SELSA-S) survey . The aim of which survey were to dictate the fresh social and you can members of the family loneliness of the members. Into the a virtual appointment, the principal researcher told me the latest application has in detail and you may responded next questions relating to the analysis. The participants had been including available with good hotline so you’re able to declaration any topic they may deal with with this data. So that the continuity of data range, the participants was requested to make certain that brand new software was usually running on background.

At the conclusion of the analysis, most of the players with ASD in addition to their caregivers or mothers done the fresh Cellular Software Get Scale: affiliate variation (uMARS) questionnaire. This new uMARS is a simple and you may reliable product which are often used by stop-profiles to assess the standard of cellular health applications. It includes a beneficial 20-item size that includes cuatro objective top quality subscales (engagement, abilities, esthetics, and you can pointers quality) and you may step one personal high quality subscale. The objective of it survey will be to measure the app’s top quality regarding usability. Brand new participants’ mothers otherwise caregivers together with accomplished the latest SELSA-S survey once more to select the participants’ societal and you can loved ones loneliness cost following the investigation. Finally, an effective semistructured interviews which have moms and dads or caregivers are presented to get information about the fresh new framework off application incorporate. The fresh interview integrated questions relating to the general application experience with words off usability, abilities, and pressures came across while using the application, also strategies for next enhancement.

MAAN Software Construction and you may Innovation

The app consisted of the next step 3 chief has actually: TTS, STT kvinner Afrikansk, and you can CS. One of several well-understood provides which can additionally be regarded as a form of assistive technologies are the fresh new TTS element, that enables profiles to hear created text message towards a computer, pill, or tune individuals stressed within the studying and you may decryption words . Similarly, STT is actually a keen assistive technical ability used by individuals who struggle which have writing. This form of assistive tech allows address getting converted into text using the computing unit. Both has actually are are not employed to assistance addition studies options . New software also integrated the brand new CS feature, that’s an important part out of AAC-supported technology, and its number 1 purpose is to let those with ASD into the building sentences. We’re not conscious of one chatting app one to supporting this new use of the CS ability. TAWASOL symbols was basically used in this new CS element. These were created in 2013 because of the Mada Cardiovascular system, a keen assistive technical heart in Qatar. These signs represent the present day Practical Arabic vocabulary and so are tailored are culturally, socially, consistently, and you may linguistically appropriate. TAWASOL is dependant on new AAC Signs Range and that’s directed to help you nonverbal or minimally verbal those who want solution correspondence possibilities .