This study intends to be certain that the effectiveness of a special mobile chatting application called MAAN, and thus together inside Arabic, for people that have ASD, having fun with pre-blog post study studies. The aim of MAAN will be to give an easily accessible, safe, and simple-to-use chatting application to own adults which have ASD thus help their introduction inside the area. In this analysis, i hypothesized another: (1) The brand new accessibility options that come with cellular applications (text-to-speech [TTS], speech-to-text message [STT], and you can interaction icons [CS]), which are used on MAAN, can boost the latest social and you will communication experience out of people having ASD; and you will (2) The application of the new app can reduce public loneliness from inside the people that have ASD.
Studies Design
A blended steps strategy is accompanied inside investigation. Eight grownups which have ASD was indeed requested to utilize MAAN and their caregivers getting 16 days. Ahead of the construction and development of MAAN, semistructured interviews was basically presented with benefits to go over the fresh first recommended app framework. The application construction was then modified according to acquired views. After that, adults which have ASD in addition to their moms and dads otherwise caregivers were questioned so you can explore MAAN to have a time period of sixteen days. That it period try then followed regarding the analysis because of the Laugeson ainsi que al , which recommended that if acquiring personal and you can interaction skills interventions, update is only evident on 16 days. The study been by the calling some body ready to take part. Due to COVID-19, the original group meetings to the people were conducted on line. All players obtained an email getting outlining the research pointers, such as for instance time and date, and you can a great weblink to possess gathering informed concur having an online meeting to your members, their friends, in addition to their moms and dads. Once receiving new participants’ concur, they certainly were expected in order to fill an on-line prestudy questionnaire in check to collect demographical pointers. Mom and dad or caregivers of the members were along with asked so you’re able to done a preliminary form of the latest Personal and you can Psychological Loneliness Scale to own Adults (SELSA-S) questionnaire . The aim of which questionnaire was to influence the fresh new social and members of the family loneliness of professionals. Inside the an online conference, the principal specialist said this new application enjoys in more detail and you may responded then questions regarding the research. The players was indeed plus available with a good hotline to help you statement one material they might face during this studies. To ensure the continuity of data collection, the participants had been requested so that the latest app is usually powering regarding the records.
After the study, every professionals having ASD as well as their caregivers or parents completed the fresh Mobile Software Get Scale: representative type (uMARS) survey. The fresh uMARS is a straightforward agency loveswans ladies and reputable tool that can easily be employed by end-pages to assess the standard of mobile fitness applications. It gives good 20-goods size filled with 4 purpose high quality subscales (engagement, features, esthetics, and you can recommendations quality) and you may step 1 personal top quality subscale. The purpose of it questionnaire is to try to assess the app’s high quality with regards to functionality. The newest participants’ parents otherwise caregivers also finished the fresh SELSA-S survey once again to choose the participants’ social and you can loved ones loneliness rates following the research. Finally, an effective semistructured interviews which have moms and dads otherwise caregivers are held to collect details about the fresh new perspective out-of application usage. The fresh interviews included questions regarding all round application experience in terminology of functionality, capabilities, and you will pressures discovered when using the application, along with suggestions for subsequent enhancement.
MAAN App Construction and you can Innovation
The fresh application consisted of the second 3 chief enjoys: TTS, STT, and you can CS. Among really-understood has that may also be considered as a form of assistive technology is the brand new TTS ability, which allows profiles to listen to composed text on a computer, tablet, otherwise tune some body troubled in the reading and decoding conditions . Likewise, STT is an assistive tech element used by those who battle with writing. This style of assistive tech allows address to get turned into text message utilising the computing device. Both possess are particularly are not useful to assistance addition studies configurations . New app in addition to included new CS function, that is an important part of AAC-supported technologies, and its own number 1 purpose will be to let individuals with ASD inside the building sentences. We are not alert to one messaging app one to helps the newest utilization of the CS function. TAWASOL signs was basically useful for new CS ability. They were developed in 2013 of the Mada Cardio, a keen assistive tech cardiovascular system from inside the Qatar. Such icons portray the present day Practical Arabic language and are also customized getting culturally, socially, religiously, and linguistically acceptable. TAWASOL is dependant on brand new AAC Symbols Collection and that is directed to nonverbal otherwise minimally verbal people that require alternative correspondence selection .
