A Comparison of PECS and iPad to Teach Requesting to Pre-schoolers with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. . ???aop.label???. doi: 10.3109/07434618.2015.1108363

Contemporary technologies, such as mainstream and specialised Assistive Technologies (ATs), are seen as effective. However, there is a noticeable gap between technological progress and the ability to customise these technologies to meet the unique needs and characteristics of neurodivergent individuals, particularly those on the Autism Spectrum and people with Intellectual Disability (pwID). The goal of this study is to investigate the present requirements and future priorities acknowledged by specialists in the field regarding the progress of social inclusion for this population, making use of ATs. A qualitative survey involving 24 international experts, and its respective thematic analysis reveals challenges in social inclusion, emphasizing communication and physical accessibility, awareness gaps, and stigma. Concurrently, issues surrounding ATs include limited access, insufficient training, and a lack of awareness and skills, with individuals, and families being inadequately involved. The study proposes strategies for overcoming these challenges, with a focus on accessibility, awareness, skills, family involvement, and customization. Identified research needs encompass scientific development, inclusive approaches, and changes in technological development paradigms.

Advancements in Assistive Technologies (ATs) have significantly improved the quality of life and autonomy for people with intellectual disabilities and autistic individuals, enhancing education, social interaction, employment, and mental health. Nevertheless, several barriers still emerge in the daily implementation of such technologies, highlighting the need to explore them in depth. Using a two-round Delphi method, we conducted a research study with an expert panel of 284 participants from 31 European countries, collecting quantitative and qualitative data. We tested ten future-oriented projections and gathered insights on participants’ backgrounds and attitudes towards ATs for this demographic. To enhance representation, experts from academia, service providers, industry, and disability organizations, as well as individuals with disabilities and their families, were included. Although the findings show strong consensus among experts on the positive impact and desirability of ATs for promoting the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and autistic individuals, they also reveal differing perceptions across expert groups and identify two distinct future scenarios linked to different cultural, social, and economic hindrances. In this sense, our study provides diverse global perspectives, with the potential to help governing bodies understand the expectations, concerns, and needs related to ATs for often underrepresented groups–people with intellectual disabilities and autistic individuals in this case.

The selection of high-tech AAC for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder can be a challenging process due to the vast array of options available. One of the decisions that clinicians need to make involves how vocabulary will be organized on the display. This study aimed to compare a visual scene display (VSD) with a grid display using a multiple-probe design across participants with an embedded adapted alternating treatment design. Four young children with autism spectrum disorder who were beginning communicators were recruited and taught to request preferred items using two display formats: VSD and grid layout on a mainstream tablet with an AAC app. Two of the participants achieved criterion with both displays, the other two participants failed to achieve criterion in either display. For all participants, progress was similar in both displays. The results are discussed through the lens of each participant's characteristics with suggestions for clinical decision-making.