Cadernos de Pós-Graduação em Distúrbios do Desenvolvimento
Print version ISSN 1519-0307On-line version ISSN 1809-4139
Abstract
SCOTINI, Carolina Yoshida; ORSATI, Fernanda Tebexreni and MACEDO, Elizeu Coutinho de. Research and assessment of applications accessibility to support the learning of children with autism spectrum disorders diagnosis. Cad. Pós-Grad. Distúrb. Desenvolv. [online]. 2021, vol.21, n.1, pp.39-67. ISSN 1519-0307. https://doi.org/10.5935/cadernosdisturbios.v21n1p39-67.
Family involvement is essential for positive results with interventions and for the learning of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The literature demonstrates that the use of tablets is a resource that complements therapies and teaching for the children with ASD. Tablet application accessibility is important as it guarantees comprehension and usability to the users. The goal of the present paper was to assess accessibility of different applications available to children with TEA for practicing abilities. This study was structured in three levels: 1. identification of applications available and related to children with ASD; 2. categorization of the applications regarding the skills trained; and 3. assessment and ranking of the applications based on accessibility guidelines. The most common characteristics found include simple interface, avoidance of distractors, and clear instructions. The accessibility characteristics that needed expansion included possibility of reversing or need for confirmation of actions, and customization of the app, for example. The listing and ranking of these characteristics represent what users, their families, teachers, and professionals should look for in an application. The disclosure of these characteristics provides a guide for the development of new applications aimed at children with ASD, and demonstrates the need to generate new studies to prove the effectiveness of applications in learning various skills.
Keywords : Autism spectrum disorder; Mobile applications; Accessibility.