scholarly journals The Use of Information Communication Technologies Among Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Descriptive Qualitative Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theoneste Ntalindwa ◽  
Tanjir Rashid Soron ◽  
Mathias Nduwingoma ◽  
Evariste Karangwa ◽  
Rebecca White
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Patterns Of Use ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) appears to be increasing globally due to the complex interaction of multiple biopsychosocial and environmental factors. Mobile phones, tablets, and other electronic gadgets have transformed our means of communication, and have also changed both healthcare and how we learn. These technological enhancements may have a positive impact on the lives of children, but there is currently a global scarcity of information on how information technology influences the education of children with ASD. OBJECTIVE This study was conducted in Rwandan schools and communities, and aimed to understand the perceptions of students with ASD, their parents, and their teachers, on the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the education of those with ASD. METHODS This qualitative descriptive study was conducted from December 2017 to July 2018. Researchers conducted four focus group discussions (FGDs) with 54 participants from different backgrounds: teachers, parents, and students with ASD. Each of the FGDs took approximately two and a half hours. A predefined set of open-ended questions were selected to discover people’s perceptions regarding assistive technologies used in ASD, their effectiveness, the scope of using them in their context, and upcoming challenges during implementation. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. RESULTS The findings of the study revealed seven key themes: (1) the use of ICT for the education of children with ASD; (2) existing augmentative facilities for learning; (3) current patterns of use of ICT in education; (4) preferred areas of learning for ASD students; (5) integration of ICT into educational programs; (6) areas of interest outside the classroom; and (7) future opportunities and challenges in Rwanda. We found most of the study participants assumed that appropriate technology and related innovations might solve the challenges faced by learners with ASD in classrooms. Moreover, they thought that children with ASD more so enjoyed watching television, playing digital games, and drawing objects using gadgets than interacting with people or playing with other children. CONCLUSIONS The use of various low-cost technical devices can aid with teaching and the education of children with autism in Rwanda. However, this area requires further research to discover the impact ICT can have on the education of children with ASD, so this study may become a starting point for further research in the area.

scholarly journals The Use of Information Communication Technologies Among Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Descriptive Qualitative Study

10.2196/12176 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. e12176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theoneste Ntalindwa ◽  
Tanjir Rashid Soron ◽  
Mathias Nduwingoma ◽  
Evariste Karangwa ◽  
Rebecca White
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Patterns Of Use ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Impact

Background The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) appears to be increasing globally due to the complex interaction of multiple biopsychosocial and environmental factors. Mobile phones, tablets, and other electronic gadgets have transformed our means of communication, and have also changed both healthcare and how we learn. These technological enhancements may have a positive impact on the lives of children, but there is currently a global scarcity of information on how information technology influences the education of children with ASD. Objective This study was conducted in Rwandan schools and communities, and aimed to understand the perceptions of students with ASD, their parents, and their teachers, on the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the education of those with ASD. Methods This qualitative descriptive study was conducted from December 2017 to July 2018. Researchers conducted four focus group discussions (FGDs) with 54 participants from different backgrounds: teachers, parents, and students with ASD. Each of the FGDs took approximately two and a half hours. A predefined set of open-ended questions were selected to discover people’s perceptions regarding assistive technologies used in ASD, their effectiveness, the scope of using them in their context, and upcoming challenges during implementation. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Results The findings of the study revealed seven key themes: (1) the use of ICT for the education of children with ASD; (2) existing augmentative facilities for learning; (3) current patterns of use of ICT in education; (4) preferred areas of learning for ASD students; (5) integration of ICT into educational programs; (6) areas of interest outside the classroom; and (7) future opportunities and challenges in Rwanda. We found most of the study participants assumed that appropriate technology and related innovations might solve the challenges faced by learners with ASD in classrooms. Moreover, they thought that children with ASD more so enjoyed watching television, playing digital games, and drawing objects using gadgets than interacting with people or playing with other children. Conclusions The use of various low-cost technical devices can aid with teaching and the education of children with autism in Rwanda. However, this area requires further research to discover the impact ICT can have on the education of children with ASD, so this study may become a starting point for further research in the area.

Using digital social stories to improve social skills in children with autism: a pilot experimental single-subject study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed F. Safi ◽  
Maitha Alnuaimi ◽  
Abdelaziz Sartawi
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Causal Relation ◽  
Social Stories ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Intervention Phase ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face difficulty with educational attainment because of to their inability to interact with others. One intervention that is used to increase social skills in individuals with ASD is social stories. This study aimed at exploring the impact of digital social stories in improving social skills of two students with ASD in the UAE. Design/methodology/approach An experimental AB single-subject study was conducted to investigate the impact of digital social stories on nonverbal communication, targeting two specific behaviors: raising hands before leaving one’s seat (TB1) and playing and sharing toys with peers (TB2). Two digital social stories (DSS1 and DSS2) were developed for the purpose of this study and transformed using a digital platform to be displayed on an iPad (tablet). Findings This study involved two male participants with ASD (10 and 11 years old). Participant one demonstrated improvement in TB1 (mean of 1.11) because of DSS1 in the intervention phase. Participant two demonstrated improvement of 18% in TB2 ( mean of 0.18) as a result of DSS2 in the intervention phase. Practical implications Both students that participated in the study showed a positive change in their target behaviors during the intervention phase intervention at different levels. Using an ABA study design would have been stronger in establishing a more valid causal relation in this single-subject design study. However, due the COVID-19 closures and curfews, the researchers had to switch to the AB design. Originality/value This study demonstrated how social stories had a positive impact on ASD social skills. Further, it indicated the potential effectiveness of using digital social stories to reduce undesirable behaviors or increase a desirable behaviors in children who have ASD.

scholarly journals Development of a mobile application to improve numeracy skills of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Rwanda (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theoneste Ntalindwa ◽  
Mathias Nduwingoma ◽  
Evariste Karangwa ◽  
Tanjir Rashid Soron ◽  
Alphonse Uworwabayeho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Mobile Application ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Assistive Technologies ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Numeracy Skills ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
User Friendly

BACKGROUND The use of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in education promising from decades ago. There has been rapid development of different ICT tools to improve the quality of life of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However, the process of developing a user friendly and effective tool such as mobile application needs to follow complex standard protocol, culture-sensitive customization, and multisectoral involvements. This complex work becomes more challenging for children with ASD in Low and Middle-Income Countries. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to develop a user-friendly mobile application for children with autism to improve numeracy skills in Rwanda. METHODS The application was developed through participatory action research involving educators and human-computer interaction researchers, subject matter expert clinicians, and target users. A comprehensive beta testing version of the application was developed that considered educators' feedback from focus groups, and observations of children with ASD when using the application. RESULTS In the findings of this study, the participants suggested three points to consider when designing the interface for children with ASD. (1) Graphic design principals, (2) User interface design, and (3) Success recognition and messages. The mobile application is believed to assist parents and educators to train and educate children with ASD to be able to learn, memorize and recognize the numbers that figure on coins used in Rwandan currency and participate in different economic activities in their families. CONCLUSIONS Overall, it has become clear that it is possible to develop mobile applications that respond to the needs of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders to eliminate the barrier of learning mathematical skills. Empowering skills of the use of ICT in teaching and support of learners with ASD inclusive environment can also bring the idea of features to be added into the developed application. This underscores the relevance of the needs of more assistive technologies to be developed in the response of each societal problems

scholarly journals Performance Of Children With Autism In Parent-Administered Cognitive And Language Exercises

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Dunn ◽  
Jonah Elgart ◽  
Lisa Lokshina ◽  
Alexander Faisman ◽  
Edward Khokhlovich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
Intensive Therapy ◽  
Early Period ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Intervention Programs ◽  
Newly Diagnosed ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
General Funding

AbstractThere is a broad scientific consensus that early and intensive therapy has the greatest chance of positive impact on an individual with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the availability, quality, and general funding for early intervention programs is often lacking, leaving newly diagnosed children without adequate and sufficient therapy during the most critical early period of their development. Parent-administered iPad-assisted therapy has the potential to reduce the gap between the amount of therapy recommended for children with ASD and the amount they receive. However it is unclear how ASD severity and age influence a child’s ability to engage with and learn from computerized cognitive exercises. In this manuscript, we describe data from a tablet-based therapeutic application administered by parents to 1,514 young children with ASD over the course of four to twelve months. We report that older children and children with milder forms of ASD performed better and progressed faster in cognitive and language exercises. However, most children were able to engage with and learn from exercises independent of their age or ASD severity. This data confirm that tablet-based cognitive and language exercises can be successfully administered by parents to children as young as two years of age over the course of many months independent of ASD severity.

Verbal fluency in bilingual children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 460-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Maria Gonzalez-Barrero ◽  
Aparna Nadig
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Verbal Fluency ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
The Impact

Abstract We examine the impact of bilingualism on verbal fluency in four groups of school-age (5 to 10 years-old) children: 13 Typically-developing (TYP) monolingual children, 13 TYP bilingual children, 13 monolingual children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and 13 bilingual children with ASD. Participants were matched on chronological age and nonverbal IQ. Verbal fluency was examined via the word association subtest of the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF-4; Semel et al., 2003). The bilingual ASD group performed unexpectedly well on the verbal fluency task, not differing from the typically-developing groups, but outperforming the monolingual ASD group with respect to number of correct words produced. These findings are in line with previous research on bilingual children with ASD (e.g., Hambly & Fombonne, 2012) and taken together suggest that bilingualism does not have a negative impact on the lexical-semantic skills of children with ASD.

Husband’s Social Support for Mother of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
pp. 106648072110050
Author(s):  
Dinie Ratri Desiningrum ◽  
Dewi Retno Suminar ◽  
Endang Retno Surjaningrum ◽  
Suryanto ◽  
Wiwin Hendriani
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: The purpose of the research is to find husband’s social support for mother of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The problem of this study is how the forms of husband’s social support are perceived by mothers of children with ASD, and what are the factors and impacts for mothers perceived about husband’s social support. Method: The research was conducted on family having children with autism aged 5–14 years, employing a qualitative method by interviewing 10 mother participants. Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results: The analysis resulted in five themes. First, the impact of disability of children with ASD on marriage relationship; second, the role of husband in parenting children with ASD; third, the perception of mother for husband’s social support; fourth, some factors influences to husband social supports; and fifth, the effects of husband’s social support for mother, children with ASD, and family. The discussion and limitations of this study are considered. Applications/Originality/Value: The results of this study are expected to be a reference for scientists, especially in the field of psychology of children with special needs, and can also contribute to the application of science to institutions related to ASD and observers of children with ASD.

scholarly journals Trajectories of imitation skills in preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Pittet ◽  
Nada Kojovic ◽  
Martina Franchini ◽  
Marie Schaer
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
The Impact

Imitation skills play a crucial role in social cognitive development from early childhood. Many studies have shown a deficit in imitation skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Little is known about the development of imitation behaviors in children with ASD. This study aims to measure the trajectories of early imitation skills in preschoolers with ASD and how these skills impact other areas of early development. For this purpose, we assessed imitation, language and cognition skills in 177 children with ASD and 43 typically developing children (TD) aged 2 to 5 years old, 126 of which were followed longitudinally, yielding a total of 396 time-points. Our results confirmed the presence of an early imitation deficit in toddlers with ASD compared to TD children. The study of the trajectories showed that these difficulties were marked at the age of two years, and gradually decreased until the age of 5 years old. Imitation skills were strongly linked with cognitive, language skills and level of symptoms in our ASD group at baseline. Moreover, the imitation skills at baseline were predictive of the language gains a year later in our ASD group. Using a data-driven clustering method, we delineated different developmental trajectories of imitation skills within the ASD group. The clinical implications of the findings are discussed, particularly the impact of an early imitation deficit on other areas of competence of the young child.

scholarly journals Impact of Social and Relational Adversity on Access to Services among US Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder 2016–2019

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1099
Author(s):  
Sarah D. Ronis ◽  
Eunice Lee ◽  
Carrie Cuffman ◽  
Kimberly Burkhart
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medical Needs ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Us Children ◽  
The Impact

To explore the impact of social and relational adversity on access to key health services among US children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), cross-sectional analyses of the 2016–2019 National Survey of Children’s Health assessed use of key health services by children with ASD, accounting for differences in demographic characteristics, medical needs, and experience of social and relational adversities. sUS children with ASD were more than twice as likely as peers without ASD to report two or more social adversities and more than three times as likely to report two or more relational adversities. In multivariable models, relational adversities were significantly associated with greater odds of medication use for ASD (OR 1.50, 95%CI:1.02, 2.17). Social adversities were neither associated with receipt of behavioral therapies nor prescription of medication to treat ASD. Screening for various forms of adversity among youth with ASD is of great importance; even one adverse experience may be enough to influence care of a child with ASD, with differences in effect according to the nature of the particular adversity. Further research should evaluate the role that childhood adversity plays in physical and mental health outcomes in ASD.

scholarly journals The Lived Experiences of Low-Income Mothers Raising Children with Autism

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Renee L Sullivan ◽  
Leann Stadtlander
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Family Systems Theory ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Raising Children ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Impact

Previous studies indicated that parents raising children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience higher rates of stress; however, no qualitative studies have addressed low-income parents’ lived experiences of raising children with ASD. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand the challenges that low-income parents of children with ASD face daily within the framework of family systems theory. Interview questions were used to focus on the impact of income and the core symptoms of ASD (social deficits, communication deficits, and repetitive behaviors) on marital and interpersonal relationships. Although the study was open to both mothers and fathers, only mothers participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews with 13 mothers were conducted, and transcripts were analyzed for themes. Results indicated some negative impacts on parents’ marital, social, and professional relationships. Themes included reports of stress and depression, decreased social interaction, low levels of personal and professional satisfaction, and decreased marital satisfaction. Results indicated that increased empathy and understanding of mothers’ challenges are needed to improve access to resources and services required for low-income parents of autistic children to enhance their family’s quality of life.

scholarly journals Trajectories of imitation skills in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Irène Pittet ◽  
Nada Kojovic ◽  
Martina Franchini ◽  
Marie Schaer
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Imitation skills play a crucial role in social cognitive development from early childhood. Many studies have shown a deficit in imitation skills in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Little is known about the development of imitation behaviors in children with ASD. This study aims to measure the trajectories of early imitation skills in preschoolers with ASD and how these skills impact other areas of early development. Methods For this purpose, we assessed imitation, language, and cognition skills in 177 children with ASD and 43 typically developing children (TD) aged 2 to 5 years old, 126 of which were followed longitudinally, yielding a total of 396 time points. Results Our results confirmed the presence of an early imitation deficit in toddlers with ASD compared to TD children. The study of the trajectories showed that these difficulties were marked at the age of 2 years and gradually decreased until the age of 5 years old. Imitation skills were strongly linked with cognitive and language skills and level of symptoms in our ASD group at baseline. Moreover, the imitation skills at baseline were predictive of the language gains a year later in our ASD group. Using a data-driven clustering method, we delineated different developmental trajectories of imitation skills within the ASD group. Conclusions The clinical implications of the findings are discussed, particularly the impact of an early imitation deficit on other areas of competence of the young child.

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