This study plans to be certain that the effectiveness of a special mobile messaging app titled MAAN, and therefore together when you look at the Arabic, to own grownups having ASD, having fun with pre-post research study. The aim of MAAN will be to bring an available, safer, and easy-to-have fun with chatting app getting grownups with ASD and hence help the addition from inside the area. Within this research, i hypothesized the next: (1) The new usage of options that come with mobile programs (text-to-message [TTS], speech-to-text message [STT], and you can correspondence symbols [CS]), being applied to MAAN, can raise the fresh public and interaction knowledge out of people having ASD; and you will (2) The effective use of the fresh application can lessen public loneliness from inside the adults that have ASD.

Studies Build

A mixed tips strategy is actually then followed inside analysis. 7 grownups that have ASD was requested to utilize MAAN with their caregivers to own 16 days. Before the build and growth of MAAN, semistructured interviews was conducted having masters to go over the new initial advised app framework. The fresh app design was then changed depending on the received feedback. Upcoming, people which have ASD as well as their parents Hvorfor ikke sjekke her otherwise caregivers was in fact questioned so you can have fun with MAAN getting a period of 16 days. This period is then followed regarding data by the Laugeson mais aussi al , which advised whenever receiving social and you may communications knowledge treatments, update is only obvious in the 16 days. The research started by contacting somebody willing to take part. Because of COVID-19, the original conferences into players was in fact held on the internet. All users received a contact to possess outlining the analysis guidance, such as for instance date and time, and you can good weblink to possess gathering advised concur to own an online meeting toward professionals, people they know, as well as their mothers. Just after acquiring the brand new participants’ concur, they were requested to help you fill an online prestudy questionnaire in check to gather demographical suggestions. Mom and dad otherwise caregivers of one’s participants have been as well as asked so you’re able to done a preliminary particular the newest Societal and you can Psychological Loneliness Size to possess Grownups (SELSA-S) survey . The goal of this survey would be to determine the new social and you can friends loneliness of your own people. Inside an online conference, the main specialist said new app possess in detail and you may answered next questions about the research. The participants was in fact in addition to available with an effective hotline so you’re able to declaration any topic they may deal with with this research. To guarantee the continuity of data range, the participants was expected so as that the new software was usually running about history.

At the conclusion of the analysis, most of the users with ASD as well as their caregivers otherwise parents completed new Mobile Software Rating Level: member adaptation (uMARS) questionnaire. New uMARS is an easy and you may legitimate equipment which are often employed by avoid-users to assess the caliber of cellular fitness software. It offers a beneficial 20-goods level detailed with cuatro goal quality subscales (engagement, capabilities, esthetics, and you can advice quality) and you can step one subjective quality subscale. The reason for it survey will be to measure the app’s quality with regards to efficiency. The new participants’ mothers or caregivers in addition to finished the fresh new SELSA-S questionnaire once again to search for the participants’ social and nearest and dearest loneliness pricing following data. Lastly, an excellent semistructured interview with moms and dads or caregivers was presented to collect details about brand new framework of app usage. The new interview incorporated questions regarding the entire application experience with terms and conditions away from function, possibilities, and you may pressures encountered while using the application, along with tricks for then improvement.

MAAN Application Framework and you may Creativity

The brand new app consisted of the next step 3 fundamental has actually: TTS, STT, and CS. One of several better-known provides that will even be considered as a type of assistive technologies are the latest TTS feature, which enables pages to learn created text into a computer, pill, or song individuals stressed for the learning and you may decoding words . Similarly, STT is actually an enthusiastic assistive technical element employed by people who challenge having composing. This form of assistive technical lets address as changed into text message making use of the measuring tool. Both enjoys have become aren’t utilized to assistance introduction degree configurations . This new app also incorporated the CS element, which is an essential part regarding AAC-served development, and its top purpose is to assist individuals with ASD in the developing phrases. We are not aware of any chatting software one to aids the utilization of the CS function. TAWASOL symbols were useful for the new CS feature. These were designed in 2013 by the Mada Center, an enthusiastic assistive technical cardio for the Qatar. These symbols show the modern Important Arabic language and generally are tailored is culturally, socially, religiously, and you can linguistically appropriate. TAWASOL is founded on this new AAC Icons Range and is directed so you’re able to nonverbal otherwise minimally verbal people who require option correspondence solutions .