This research intentions to be certain that the potency of yet another cellular chatting software titled MAAN, meaning that together during the Arabic, to possess people with ASD, having fun with pre-post study studies. The goal of MAAN is always to bring an obtainable, safe, and simple-to-play with messaging application having adults which have ASD thus support the addition when you look at the community. Contained in this analysis, we hypothesized the following: (1) New use of top features of cellular software (text-to-message [TTS], speech-to-text message [STT], and you can telecommunications signs [CS]), being put on MAAN, can boost brand new social and you can telecommunications experience off people which have ASD; and you can (2) The employment of this new application can reduce societal loneliness within the people which have ASD.
Investigation Build
A combined measures strategy try accompanied within this analysis. Seven grownups with ASD was in fact questioned to make use of MAAN with regards to caregivers to have 16 months. Ahead of the construction and growth of MAAN, semistructured interview had been presented having benefits to go over new first recommended app design. New app framework was then altered according to the gotten views. Then, grownups that have ASD as well as their parents or caregivers were expected so you can fool around with MAAN having a time period of sixteen months. Which course was followed on analysis of the Laugeson ainsi que al , and therefore suggested when getting societal and you will telecommunications skills treatments, update is evident from the sixteen days. The research become from the contacting people prepared to engage. Due to COVID-19, the initial group meetings into the people was basically used online. All the members acquired a contact to own discussing the research pointers, such as for instance time and date, and you can an excellent weblink to own event informed agree getting a virtual meeting towards people, their friends, in addition to their moms and dads. Immediately after researching new participants’ concur, these people were asked so you’re able to fill an internet prestudy survey manageable to gather demographical guidance. Mom and dad otherwise caregivers of users was basically including questioned to done a preliminary particular the Public and you will Emotional Loneliness Size getting People (SELSA-S) survey . The goal of that it questionnaire would be to dictate this new societal and you may household members loneliness of users. When you look at the a virtual fulfilling, the principal researcher told me the brand new application keeps in more detail and you will replied next questions about the study. The participants was indeed plus provided by an effective hotline to help you report people issue they might face during this data. To ensure the continuity of data collection, the players was basically questioned making sure that the fresh software try always powering regarding the background.
At the conclusion of the research, all the players that have ASD in addition to their caregivers otherwise moms and dads accomplished the brand new Mobile App Rating Scale: representative variation (uMARS) survey. The uMARS is a simple and you will reputable unit that may be employed by end-pages to evaluate the grade of mobile wellness applications. It includes an excellent 20-product scale filled with cuatro purpose quality subscales (involvement, effectiveness, esthetics, and you may information top quality) and you will step one personal high quality subscale. The reason for so it survey is always to measure the app’s quality in terms of functionality. The new participants’ parents otherwise caregivers together with complete the newest SELSA-S survey again to https://kissbridesdate.com/thai-women/ubon-ratchathani/ search for the participants’ public and you may loved ones loneliness prices following the research. Finally, good semistructured interview which have mothers or caregivers try used to get facts about the fresh perspective of software use. The fresh new interviews included questions relating to the overall app experience in terminology off function, effectiveness, and you may pressures encountered with all the application, in addition to approaches for subsequent enhancement.
MAAN Application Framework and you may Invention
The new application contained next step three main have: TTS, STT, and you can CS. Among the better-known have that may also be thought to be a type of assistive technology is the new TTS feature, enabling pages to know created text message on the a pc, pill, otherwise song someone battling from inside the discovering and decryption conditions . Similarly, STT try an assistive tech function employed by those who endeavor having writing. This kind of assistive technical allows speech to-be converted into text using the calculating tool. One another features have become aren’t employed to help introduction training settings . The newest software in addition to included the newest CS element, that’s an important part out-of AAC-offered development, and its particular top goal is to try to let people with ASD in the design sentences. We are really not conscious of any messaging application you to definitely aids brand new utilization of the CS element. TAWASOL signs was indeed used for the newest CS element. These were designed in 2013 by the Mada Cardiovascular system, an enthusiastic assistive technology cardiovascular system in Qatar. These types of icons represent the present day Standard Arabic words and tend to be customized become culturally, socially, religiously, and you can linguistically acceptable. TAWASOL is dependent on the fresh AAC Signs Range which is directed to nonverbal or minimally verbal individuals who wanted option interaction options .