A Virtual Conversational Agent for Teens with Autism: Experimental Results and Design Lessons

We present the design of an online social skills development interface for teenagers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The interface is intended to enable private conversation practice anywhere, anytime using a web-browser. Users converse informally with a virtual agent, receiving feedback on nonverbal cues in real-time, and summary feedback. The prototype was developed in consultation with an expert UX designer, two psychologists, and a pediatrician. Using the data from 47 individuals, feedback and dialogue generation were automated using a hidden Markov model and a schema-driven dialogue manager capable of handling multi-topic conversations. We conducted a study with nine high-functioning ASD teenagers. Through a thematic analysis of post-experiment interviews, identified several key design considerations, notably: 1) Users should be fully briefed at the outset about the purpose and limitations of the system, to avoid unrealistic expectations. 2) An interface should incorporate positive acknowledgment of behavior change. 3) Realistic appearance of a virtual agent and responsiveness are important in engaging users. 4) Conversation personalization, for instance in prompting laconic users for more input and reciprocal questions, would help the teenagers engage for longer terms and increase the system's utility

Human-centred design methods : developing scenarios for robot assisted play informed by user panels and field trials

Original article can be found at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/ Copyright ElsevierThis article describes the user-centred development of play scenarios for robot assisted play, as part of the multidisciplinary IROMEC1 project that develops a novel robotic toy for children with special needs. The project investigates how robotic toys can become social mediators, encouraging children with special needs to discover a range of play styles, from solitary to collaborative play (with peers, carers/teachers, parents, etc.). This article explains the developmental process of constructing relevant play scenarios for children with different special needs. Results are presented from consultation with panel of experts (therapists, teachers, parents) who advised on the play needs for the various target user groups and who helped investigate how robotic toys could be used as a play tool to assist in the children’s development. Examples from experimental investigations are provided which have informed the development of scenarios throughout the design process. We conclude by pointing out the potential benefit of this work to a variety of research projects and applications involving human–robot interactions.Peer reviewe

A brief review: assistive technology and autism, a proposal for virtual tools for improved communication and emotional recognition

Autism is a condition that affects over one percent of the population, and is a condition that has varying degrees of severity. There currently exist various therapies to help people with autism communicate effectively. As a result some researchers and schools have expanded this provision by creating virtual tools to assist the communication process and allow a greater level of independence and generalization. Therefore, this brief paper aims to present a review of literature surrounding assistive technology, augmentative and alternative communication and autism, and how these fields of knowledge can be better understood to help develop virtual tools – more specifically a virtual world

An evaluation of the Cygnet parenting support programme for parents of children with autism spectrum conditions

Parents of children on the autistic spectrum often struggle to understand the condition and, related to this, manage their child’s behaviour. Cygnet is a parenting intervention which aims to help parents address these difficulties, consequently improving parenting confidence. It is widely used in the United Kingdom (UK). Despite this, there have been few evaluations. This paper reports a small-scale pragmatic evaluation of Cygnet as it was routinely delivered in two English cities. A non-randomised controlled study of outcomes for parents (and their children) was conducted. Data regarding intervention fidelity and delivery costs were also collected. Parents either attending, or waiting to attend, Cygnet were recruited (intervention group: IG, n=35; comparator group: CG, n=32). Parents completed standardised measures of child behaviour and parenting sense of competence pre- and post-intervention, and at three-month follow-up (matched time points for CG). Longer-term outcomes were measured for the IG. IG parents also set specific child behaviour goals. Typically, the programme was delivered as specified by the manual. Attending Cygnet was associated with significant improvements in parenting satisfaction and the specific child behaviour goals. Findings regarding other outcomes were equivocal and further evaluation is required. We conclude that Cygnet is a promising intervention for parents of children with autism in terms of, at least, some outcomes

Self-reported Experiences of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Higher Education: A Population-based Sample

Postsecondary education functions as the gateway to a host of positive adult outcomes, including financial independence, employment opportunities, and independent living. Despite this fact, few young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) attend and remain enrolled in higher education. There is an urgent need for studies that better characterize college students with ASD using population-based samples. The current study examines the self-reported experiences of 206 college freshmen (N=103 students with self-identified ASD) who participated in a national survey at the end of their freshman year. ASD and no-ASD groups were matched on demographic characteristics and compared on domains of psychological stress, social self-confidence, connection to campus, self-regulated learning, and campus service use. Students with ASD reported significantly higher levels of psychological stress and significantly lower levels of social self-confidence compared to neurotypical peers. On all other domains, students with ASD were similar to their typically-developing counterparts. Findings have implications for the development of services and programs at higher education institutions that support all students

Self-guided mindfulness and cognitive behavioural practices reduce anxiety in autistic adults: A pilot 8-month waitlist-controlled trial of widely available online tools

Anxiety in autism is an important treatment target because of its consequences for quality of life and wellbeing. Growing evidence suggests that Cognitive Behaviour Therapies (CBT) and Mindfulness-Based Therapies (MBT) can ameliorate anxiety in autism but cost-effective delivery remains a challenge. This pilot randomized controlled trial examined whether online CBT and MBT self-help programmes could help reduce anxiety in 54 autistic adults who were randomly allocated to either an online CBT (n=16) or MBT (n=19) programme or a waitlist control group (WL; n=19). Primary outcome measures of anxiety, secondary outcome measures of broader wellbeing, and potential process of change variables were collected at baseline, after programme completion, and then 3 and 6 months post-completion. Baseline data confirmed that intolerance of uncertainty and emotional acceptance accounted for up to 61% of self-reported anxiety across all participants. The 23 participants who were retained in the active conditions (14 MBT, 9 CBT) showed significant decreases in anxiety that were maintained over 3, and to some extent also 6 months. Overall, results suggest that online self-help CBT and MBT tools may provide a cost-effective method for delivering mental health support to those autistic adults who can engage effectively with online support tools