Introduction

Methodology

ResultsThis study aims to explore the current progress of using different types of software with various autism conditions. One of the questions that this study is trying to answer is what are the different software methodologies that have been used to help people with autism? And more importantly how effective they are in achieving their targets?. communication

19%

emotions and facial ex-pression understanding

15%

social collaboration9%academic and cognitive

15%

conversation skills9%

daily activities and problem solving

18%

narrative understand-ing3%

others12%

Targets of software

The methodology used for this study is based on a systematic review of literature. One way of gathering publications that describes software made for autism is to search online bibliographies using a combination of keywords that likely to return all possible literatures that serve the purpose of the study.

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Online bibliographies

Inclusioncriteria

To manage the scope of the study a inclusion criteria was applied on the results study. The following points summarize the criteria:

• Published between 2000 and 2012• Software must aim to teach a skill or knowledge or to overcome

a difficulty.• Must include an experiment where at least on participant with

autism is involved.• Must not be combined with another intervention.• Quantitative or qualitative results are provided.

Virtual environment19%

Multi touch surface10%

Tangible interface6%

Communication software

6%

Multimedia interac-tive software

53%

PowerPoint6%

Software types

Software target refers to the symptoms or difficulties that a software is trying to help people with autism to overcome or skills and knowledge that a software is trying to teach.

The methodology used by the software to target autism difficulties or lacked skills.

31 studies met the inclusion criteria . These studies were categorized based on the type of software and the target of each software.

Key FindingsKey findings include:

• Virtual environment and multimedia interactive software are the most common methodologies used to manage some autism difficulties.

• Both can be implemented to target various autism conditions.

• For people with autism who are unable to speak, communication software is a promising tool to communicate and request needs. Although it doesn’t solve the problem but it makes their life easier

• Social collaboration can be improved by using multi surface based software which promote collaboration in a very interesting way.

• Combining more than one software methodology in a single software may increase quality and usability in autism software.

Each software type still have some limitations for example:

• Some of these software are costly to implement.• Some software methodologies are difficult to be applied in

users homes such as tangible users interface. • Software cannot replace the teachers or practitioners role.• In a virtual reality type of software, acquired skills

cannot be generalized as they are specific to limited situations.

• Software effects are vary from one user to another due to differences in conditions and severity which can be difficult to determine before applying software.

AN EVALUATION OF AUTISM SOFTWARE BY SALMAN ALSHALAWI, SUPERVISOR: PAUL CALDER

SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICSFLINDERS UNIVERSITY

3The following data variables were extracted from each study:

• Software : the name, description, platform and interaction mode of the software

• Target: the aim of the software which might be an autism problem or difficulty or a certain skill(s) that the software is trying to teach or improve.

• Participants: number of participants, age, gender and any specific conditions

• Experiment setting: location and period of the experiment.

School of Computer science , Engineering and Mathematics2012

Salman Alshalawialsh0092@flinders.edu.au

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