Within the field of products for autism spectrum disorder, one of the main research areas is focused on the development of assistive technology. Mid and high-tech products integrate interactive and smart functions with multisensory reinforcements, making the user experience more intuitive, adaptable, and dynamic. These products have a very significant impact on improving the skills of children with autism, including collaboration and social skills, which are essential for the integration of these children into society and, therefore, their well-being. This work carried out an exhaustive analysis of the scientific literature, as well as market research and trends, and patent analysis to explore the state-of-the-art of assistive technology and smart products for children with ASD, specifically those aimed at improving social and communication skills. The results show a reduced availability of products that act as facilitators of the special needs of children with ASD, which is even more evident for products aimed at improving collaboration skills. Products that allow the participation of several users simultaneously through multi-user interfaces are required. On top of this, the trend toward virtual environments is leading to a loss of material aspects in the design that are essential for the development of these children.

The role that design engineering plays in the quality of life and well-being of people with autism spectrum disorder around the world is extremely relevant; products are highly helpful when used as “intermediaries” in social interactions, as well as in the reinforcement of cognitive, motor and sensory skills. One of the most significant challenges engineers have to face lies in the complexity of defining those functional requirements of objects that will efficiently satisfy the specific needs of children with autism within a single product. Furthermore, despite the growing trends that point toward the integration of new technologies in the creation of toys for typically developing children, the variety of specialized smart products aimed at children with autism spectrum disorder is very limited. Based on this evidence the KEYme project was created, where a multifunctional smart toy is developed as a reinforcement system for multiple needs which is adaptable to different kinds of autism for therapies, educational centers or family environments. This approach involves the knowledge transfer from the latest neuroscience, medicine and psychology contributions to the engineering and industrial design field.

COVID-19 has posed new physical and mental challenges for the population worldwide, establishing social and structural changes in the labor market that could be maintained and implemented permanently. This new reality will require new strategies to improve family and work conciliation, which is especially challenging for families with children suffering from psychological pathologies such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These changes have led to more frequent and intense behavioral problems, causing stress, anxiety, and confusion for these children and their families. Thus, the need to have tools that help parents reconcile work with the care of these children, who have low autonomy, is reinforced. This work develops a method for the design of assistive technology and smart products to support children with ASD in following a routine and managing tasks autonomously. In this way, the article analyzes the design problem including the needs and preferences of children with ASD and their parents during confinement in terms of dependence and adaptability; develops a design method for interactive and smart products focused on children with ASD in confinement situations; and validates this method in a case study, in which a robot is developed that makes it easier for children with ASD to follow a routine.

Visual stimulation has a great impact on the emotional and cognitive development of children. Visual perception of products influences the first decisions of the user, and it is key to instilling trust during first impressions. For this reason, visual qualities play an important role in perceptions, expectations, and product choices. It is essential to pursue rich visual designs that have a positive impact on children. This is even more relevant for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who tend to experience sensory stimuli differently than typically developing children, which affects their daily performance. Studies claim that although they can vary within the sensory range, children with ASD are usually at one end of the sensitivity spectrum, meaning that they have insufficient or exaggerated responses, therefore presenting hypo- or hypersensitivity, respectively. This means that for products to be safe, comfortable, and easy to use, they must be adapted to the specific type of sensitivity of the child. However, most products are aimed at autism in general but are not adapted to each type of sensitivity, leading to frustration and rejection in many cases. This work explores the specific design guidelines and parameters for each type of visual sensitivity and concludes that the design must aim for different purposes, visual stimulation, or relaxation, depending on the type of sensitivity. It implements these findings by redesigning a multifunctional toy for hyper- and hyposensitivity, with the aim of demonstrating the importance of adapting products to the specific type of visual sensitivity of these children.