This study plans to ensure the effectiveness of a different sort of mobile messaging app called MAAN, and thus together in the Arabic, to own grownups having ASD, having fun with pre-post data studies. The purpose of MAAN should be to provide an obtainable, safe, and simple-to-play with messaging software to possess grownups that have ASD and therefore support the inclusion inside the community. Within data, we hypothesized another: (1) Brand new entry to top features of cellular software (text-to-message [TTS], speech-to-text message [STT], and you will interaction signs [CS]), which can be put on MAAN, can raise the social and communication enjoy from adults with ASD; and you can (2) The effective use of the brand new app decrease public loneliness inside the people which have ASD.

Analysis Build

A mixed procedures strategy is observed within data. Seven adults which have ASD was in fact requested to utilize MAAN using their caregivers for 16 days. Prior to the structure and you can development of MAAN, semistructured interview was in fact conducted having experts to discuss the new first suggested software construction. The brand new application structure was then altered depending on the obtained views. Up coming, adults having ASD and their moms and dads otherwise caregivers have been asked to help you fool around with MAAN to possess a period of 16 months. It cycle try then followed in the data because of the Laugeson ainsi que al , hence recommended if receiving public and you can communication skills treatments, update is only clear during the sixteen months. The research become of the contacting anyone prepared to take part. Because of COVID-19, the initial group meetings with the professionals have been conducted on the web. Every professionals obtained a contact for discussing the analysis recommendations, like date and time, and good weblink to own collecting told concur to have an online meeting towards the people, their friends, as well as their mothers. Just after finding the fresh participants’ agree, these people were expected so you’re able to complete an on-line prestudy survey managed to get demographical suggestions. Mom and dad otherwise caregivers of your own users was basically plus asked to over an initial kind of the newest Societal and you will Psychological Loneliness Measure getting People (SELSA-S) survey . The aim of it questionnaire was to determine this new social and you will members of the family loneliness of the members. In the an online conference, the primary researcher told me the fresh app possess in detail and you may responded then questions relating to the study. The participants was together with available with a good hotline so you’re able to report one issue they might deal with in this data. To ensure the continuity of information collection, the participants was in fact asked in order that the fresh new software was always running on Lodz brides the records.

At the end of the study, most of the participants having ASD and their caregivers or mothers complete the Mobile Application Get Measure: associate type (uMARS) questionnaire. New uMARS is a straightforward and you will reliable equipment which might be used by prevent-profiles to evaluate the grade of cellular wellness applications. It includes a beneficial 20-items size filled with 4 objective top quality subscales (involvement, features, esthetics, and you will recommendations quality) and you may step one subjective top quality subscale. The purpose of that it survey is always to gauge the app’s top quality in terms of usability. The latest participants’ mothers otherwise caregivers together with completed new SELSA-S survey once again to determine the participants’ societal and you will nearest and dearest loneliness rates following the investigation. Finally, a beneficial semistructured interviews having moms and dads otherwise caregivers is actually used to gather facts about the new framework out-of software use. New interviews integrated questions regarding all round software expertise in words out of usability, functionality, and you will challenges found with all the application, as well as tips for further enhancement.

MAAN Application Design and Development

The fresh app contains another step three chief has: TTS, STT, and CS. Among the many better-identified provides that also be considered as a kind of assistive technologies are this new TTS feature, which enables pages to listen to created text into the a computer, tablet, otherwise song individuals having difficulties within the understanding and you will decoding conditions . Also, STT is actually an assistive technology element utilized by individuals who fight having creating. This kind of assistive technology allows address to get changed into text message utilising the computing device. Both have are very commonly utilized to assistance introduction studies setup . The fresh new software together with integrated new CS ability, which is an essential part from AAC-served technologies, and its number one mission should be to help individuals with ASD from inside the constructing phrases. We are really not alert to any chatting app one supports the brand new utilization of the CS ability. TAWASOL symbols was in fact used in this new CS function. They certainly were created in 2013 by the Mada Cardio, an assistive technology cardio within the Qatar. These types of icons represent the current Fundamental Arabic vocabulary and are usually tailored are culturally, socially, religiously, and you can linguistically appropriate. TAWASOL is dependent on the newest AAC Signs Range which is brought in order to nonverbal or minimally verbal people who want option interaction selection .