This study intentions to make certain the potency of yet another mobile chatting application named “MAAN,” which means “together” within the Arabic, to have people which have ASD, having fun with pre-post data studies. The aim of MAAN is to try to render an obtainable, safer, and easy-to-play with messaging application having grownups having ASD thus help the addition during the people. In this investigation, i hypothesized the next: (1) The brand new accessibility features of mobile programs (text-to-speech [TTS], speech-to-text message [STT], and communications icons [CS]), which happen to be applied to MAAN, can boost the fresh personal and you will communication knowledge off people with ASD; and you can (2) The usage of the new software decrease social loneliness inside the people that have ASD.
Research Design
A mixed procedures means try accompanied within study. Seven people with ASD was requested to use MAAN employing caregivers to have sixteen months. Before the construction and development of MAAN, semistructured interview was conducted with masters to go over new preliminary suggested software construction. The latest app build ended up being changed with regards to the acquired views. After that, grownups that have ASD as well as their mothers otherwise caregivers was in fact asked in order to explore MAAN to own a time period of sixteen weeks. This cycle was accompanied throughout the studies by the Laugeson ainsi que al , and that ideal that in most beautiful macedonian women in the world case getting social and you can interaction feel interventions, upgrade is only evident on 16 months. The research been by the contacting anyone willing to engage. Due to COVID-19, the original conferences into the professionals have been conducted on the internet. All users gotten an email to possess outlining the study information, including time and date, and you may good weblink to own collecting informed agree for an online meeting into the members, people they know, in addition to their moms and dads. Once researching the newest participants’ consent, they certainly were expected in order to fill an online prestudy questionnaire manageable to gather demographical guidance. Mom and dad otherwise caregivers of your professionals have been including questioned in order to complete a primary brand of new Societal and you can Psychological Loneliness Measure to possess People (SELSA-S) survey . The aim of this survey were to dictate this new personal and you may family loneliness of your own people. Inside the an online meeting, the principal specialist informed me brand new app features in detail and you can replied next questions about the study. The participants was basically including available with good hotline in order to declaration people procedure they may face during this data. To be sure the continuity of information collection, the players was indeed asked so the brand new application try usually running regarding the background.
At the conclusion of the analysis, all the members which have ASD in addition to their caregivers or mothers completed the Mobile App Rating Level: member version (uMARS) questionnaire. The fresh new uMARS is an easy and you can legitimate unit that can easily be employed by stop-profiles to evaluate the quality of mobile health applications. It provides a great 20-item size including 4 purpose top quality subscales (wedding, effectiveness, esthetics, and you may suggestions high quality) and you can 1 subjective high quality subscale. The purpose of so it questionnaire would be to gauge the app’s high quality with respect to functionality. The new participants’ parents otherwise caregivers in addition to finished brand new SELSA-S survey again to determine the participants’ public and members of the family loneliness costs following the investigation. Lastly, good semistructured interview that have mothers or caregivers try conducted to collect information regarding the fresh perspective of software usage. The fresh interview provided questions regarding all round application experience in conditions from usability, effectiveness, and you will challenges found when using the app, and tips for subsequent enhancement.
MAAN Application Structure and you will Creativity
The application contains another 3 main has: TTS, STT, and you will CS. One of several well-recognized provides which can even be considered as a form of assistive technologies are the newest TTS element, which allows pages to listen composed text message to the a pc, tablet, otherwise song some body stressed inside the understanding and you may decryption words . Similarly, STT try an assistive technology ability utilized by people that endeavor that have creating. This kind of assistive technical allows address become turned into text message using the measuring product. Each other has have become aren’t utilized to support introduction knowledge options . The new software and integrated the CS function, which is a significant part regarding AAC-offered technologies, and its particular number one mission would be to let people with ASD when you look at the developing sentences. We are really not familiar with any chatting software you to definitely supporting brand new use of the CS ability. “TAWASOL signs” was basically employed for the brand new CS feature. They were designed in 2013 by Mada Heart, a keen assistive technical cardiovascular system in Qatar. These types of icons show the modern Practical Arabic vocabulary and are also designed becoming culturally, socially, religiously, and you can linguistically appropriate. TAWASOL is based on the fresh AAC Signs Range and that’s led so you’re able to nonverbal or minimally spoken individuals who require solution telecommunications selection .
