An international survey of parental attitudes to technology use by their autistic children at home

Capturing variability in use of commercial technologies by children with autism can inform future learning and support technology design. Survey data were collected from parents (n = 388) in the UK, Spain, and Belgium, and includes information about individuals with a range of ages and ability levels. We found a comparable pattern of access and usage across age groups, though higher reading and language ability was linked to use of more devices and interfaces. Reported worries about technology correlated with longer time spent using technology. Autistic people use mainstream technologies for a broad range of recreational uses. The data suggest that technologies developed with therapeutic goals in mind may need to achieve a high standard of design to engage users.

Capturing variability in use of commercial technologies by children with autism can inform future learning and support technology design. Survey data were collected from parents (n = 388) in the UK, Spain, and Belgium, and includes information about individuals with a range of ages and ability levels. We found a comparable pattern of access and usage across age groups, though higher reading and language ability was linked to use of more devices and interfaces. Reported worries about technology correlated with longer time spent using technology. Autistic people use mainstream technologies for a broad range of recreational uses. The data suggest that technologies developed with therapeutic goals in mind may need to achieve a high standard of design to engage users.

Laurie, Margaret Holmes; Warreyn, Petra; Uriarte, Blanca Villamia; Boonen, Charlotte; Fletcher-Watson, Sue. (2019). An international survey of parental attitudes to technology use by their autistic children at home [dataset], [dataset]. University of Edinburgh. Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences. https://doi.org/10.7488/ds/2498.