NIDABA : plataforma digital para produção de recursos educacionais inclusivos baseados em mesa tangível

A utilização de ferramentas tecnológicas na educação é bastante disseminada no Brasil e no mundo, porém, quando envolve educação inclusiva, especialmente com crianças com deficiência intelectual ou autismo, existem poucas soluções e recursos tecnológicos disponíveis. O uso de interfaces tangíveis para fins educacionais apresenta consideráveis vantagens e pode proporcionar um incremento no engajamento e motivação dos estudantes e se revelando um recurso de tecnologia assistiva adequado para a educação. Um dos principais problemas encontrados para a utilização de mesas tangíveis no ambiente educacional é a ausência de softwares para a sua programação e uso que atendam às necessidades educacionais e que sejam fáceis de utilizar, especialmente por educadores que não dominam a lógica de programação. A presente tese tem por objetivo criar uma plataforma digital para produção de recursos educacionais baseados em mesa tangível, que atendam à diversidade para a educação inclusiva. Para isso, um levantamento de necessidades pedagógicas e as questões de acessibilidade para a interação tangível no contexto inclusivo são analisadas e é desenvolvido um editor intuitivo e de fácil utilização para criação de recursos educacionais, juntamente com um player para executar as aplicações em mesas tangíveis e que permite a simulação em computadores, tablets e smartphones. Uma avaliação da usabilidade do editor e do player com as aplicações para mesa tangível e a viabilidade e utilidade da proposta é realizada e é apresentada uma especificação para a construção e montagem de uma mesa de baixo custo. Assim, este estudo apresenta uma proposta de uso da mesa tangível na educação inclusiva, juntamente com uma ferramenta de autoria para a construção de aplicativos e a plataforma necessária para sua execução, desenvolvidos especificamente para este propósito. Esta plataforma pode ser utilizada como um instrumento de mediação tecnológica, de forma interativa e intuitiva por educadores e estudantes, para o desenvolvimento e utilização de atividades pedagógicas num contexto inclusivo. A plataforma desenvolvida e o editor reúnem, numa única ferramenta, diversas características importantes apresentadas em trabalhos relacionados e apresenta, ainda, vários recursos inovadores para a produção de aplicações para mesa tangível.Use of technological tools in education is widespread in Brazil and in the world, however when it involves inclusive education, especially with children with intellectual disabilities or autism, there are few technological solutions and resources available. Tangible interfaces use for educational purposes has considerable advantages and can provide an increase in student engagement and motivation, and have proved to be suitable for assistive technology resources for education. One of the main problems found for the use of tangible tabletops in the educational environment is the absence of software for their programming and use that meet educational needs and that are easy to use, especially by teachers who do not master the programming logic. This thesis aims to create a digital platform for the production of educational resources based on a tangible tabletop, to contemplate diversity for inclusive education. For this, a survey of pedagogical needs and accessibility issues for tangible interaction in the inclusive context are analyzed and an intuitive and user-friendly editor is developed for creating educational resources, along with a player to run the applications on tangible tabletop and that allows simulation on computers, tablets and smartphones. An evaluation of the editor and player usability with the tangible tabletop applications and the feasibility and usefulness of the proposal is carried out and is presented a specification for the construction and assembly of a low-cost table. Thus, this study presents a proposal for using the tangible table in inclusive education, together with an authoring tool for building applications and the platform needed for its execution, developed specifically for this purpose. This platform can be used as an instrument of technological mediation, in an interactive and intuitive way by teachers and students, for the development and use of pedagogical activities in an inclusive context. The developed platform and the editor bring together in a single tool, several important features presented in related works and also presents several innovative resources for the production of applications to a tangible tabletop

Pilot study for subgroup classification for autism spectrum disorder based on dysmorphology and physical measurements in Chinese children

Poster Sessions: 157 - Comorbid Medical Conditions: abstract 157.058 58BACKGROUND: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder affecting individuals along a continuum of severity in communication, social interaction and behaviour. The impact of ASD significantly varies amongst individuals, and the cause of ASD can originate broadly between genetic and environmental factors. Objectives: Previous ASD researches indicate that early identification combined with a targeted treatment plan involving behavioural interventions and multidisciplinary therapies can provide substantial improvement for ASD patients. Currently there is no cure for ASD, and the clinical variability and uncertainty of the disorder still remains. Hence, the search to unravel heterogeneity within ASD by subgroup classification may provide clinicians with a better understanding of ASD and to work towards a more definitive course of action. METHODS: In this study, a norm of physical measurements including height, weight, head circumference, ear length, outer and inner canthi, interpupillary distance, philtrum, hand and foot length was collected from 658 Typical Developing (TD) Chinese children aged 1 to 7 years (mean age of 4.19 years). The norm collected was compared against 80 ASD Chinese children aged 1 to 12 years (mean age of 4.36 years). We then further attempted to find subgroups within ASD based on identifying physical abnormalities; individuals were classified as (non) dysmorphic with the Autism Dysmorphology Measure (ADM) from physical examinations of 12 body regions. RESULTS: Our results show that there were significant differences between ASD and TD children for measurements in: head circumference (p=0.009), outer (p=0.021) and inner (p=0.021) canthus, philtrum length (p=0.003), right (p=0.023) and left (p=0.20) foot length. Within the 80 ASD patients, 37(46%) were classified as dysmorphic (p=0.00). CONCLUSIONS: This study attempts to identify subgroups within ASD based on physical measurements and dysmorphology examinations. The information from this study seeks to benefit ASD community by identifying possible subtypes of ASD in Chinese population; in seek for a more definitive diagnosis, referral and treatment plan.published_or_final_versio