Assistive technology for children with autism - lessons for interaction design

Abstract

This paper describes our experiences from developing assistive tools for children with autism. We describe two applications - AutVisComm, an assistive communication system developed on ubiquitous tablets, and Autinect, a set of activities to teach social skills to children with autism that use Microsoft Kinect™ as a controller. Both these systems were developed in close collaboration with teachers and parents of children with autism. We present here our approach to the design and evaluation of the system that incorporated the cognitive profiles of children with autism and the needs of their caregivers. We also present a summary of the key lessons learnt from these experiences.