Model playground for autistic children: teaching social skills through tangible collaboration

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingArticle in proceedingsResearchpeer-review

Children with autism often have difficulties in learning the social skills and norms of peer social interaction, which severely affect and limit their social lives. Aiming at addressing this issue, through design, we developed a digital-analogue model playground to help them understand and cope with the socially difficult situations experienced when they go to a physical playground to interact with peers. Based on therapists and parents' insights, we created the model playground with built in collaborative protocols providing immediate feedback to the children in terms of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. Our design artefact was evaluated in a rehabilitation clinic for autistic children and demonstrates promising potential for digital-analogue devices as useful resources training peer social interaction. Our findings document that digital-analogue design devices can facilitate the development of social skills and norms through peer learning activities amongst children with autism.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2017 IEEE 17th International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT)
Number of pages5
PublisherIEEE
Publication date2017
Pages441-445
ISBN (Electronic)978-1-5386-3870-5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017
Event17th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies - Timisoara, Romania
Duration: 3 Jul 20177 Jul 2017
Conference number: 17

Conference

Conference17th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies
Nummer17
LandRomania
ByTimisoara
Periode03/07/201707/07/2017

    Research areas

  • development of social ability, inclusive learning, Peer interaction

ID: 188445710