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Designing a Personalizable ASD-Oriented AAC Tool: An Action Research Experience

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Methodologies and Intelligent Systems for Technology Enhanced Learning, 8th International Conference (MIS4TEL 2018)

Part of the book series: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing ((AISC,volume 804))

Abstract

ICT tools are considered very promising in the treatment of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), who experience - among others - severe difficulties in communication and interaction. A number of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) tools have been proposed to compensate for severe speech-language impairments in the expression or comprehension of spoken/written language for people with a variety of conditions that hamper their communication ability. In the case of ASD people, domain experts underline the necessity of high personalization of assistive tools, given the extreme individuality of the condition. In this paper we report on an on-going design process of an ASD-oriented AAC tool able to support operators in personalization tasks. The design is being carried out as an action research experience aimed at developing a prototype and at defining an underlying AAC model.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The ASD diagnosis was provided by experienced clinicians according to the new criteria of the DSM-5 [1]. ASD diagnosis was confirmed using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition [14]. Verbal mental age was assessed with the Test for Reception of Grammar, Version 2 [3, 22].

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Acknowledgment

Authors wish to thank Marco Valenti (Director of the Abruzzo Regional Reference Center for Autism) and his team for the fruitful cooperation throughout the project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Università degli Studi dell’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy

    Tania Di Mascio, Laura Tarantino, Lidia Cirelli, Sara Peretti & Monica Mazza

Authors
  1. Tania Di Mascio
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  2. Laura Tarantino
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  3. Lidia Cirelli
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  4. Sara Peretti
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  5. Monica Mazza
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tania Di Mascio .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Information Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy

    Tania Di Mascio

  2. Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy

    Pierpaolo Vittorini

  3. Computer Science Faculty, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy

    Rosella Gennari

  4. BISITE Digital Innovation Hub, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain

    Fernando De la Prieta

  5. BISITE Digital Innovation Hub, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain

    Sara Rodríguez

  6. Dipartimento di Ingegneria Informatica, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy

    Marco Temperini

  7. Department of Computer Science and Statistics, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil

    Ricardo Azambuja Silveira

  8. Faculty of Automation Computers and Electronics Computers and Information Technology Department, University of Craiova, Craiova, Romania

    Elvira Popescu

  9. Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, Coppito, Holy See (Vatican City State)

    Loreto Lancia

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Di Mascio, T., Tarantino, L., Cirelli, L., Peretti, S., Mazza, M. (2019). Designing a Personalizable ASD-Oriented AAC Tool: An Action Research Experience. In: Di Mascio, T., et al. Methodologies and Intelligent Systems for Technology Enhanced Learning, 8th International Conference. MIS4TEL 2018. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 804. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98872-6_24

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