ChangeIt: Toward an App to Help Children with Autism Cope with Changes

The use of technology-based interventions for ameliorating Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) core deficits has been growing in popularity. However, limited technologies are available that can help children with autism (aged 6 to 11) cope with changes, and these do not typically incorporate the methods used or recommended by practitioners. Our project addresses this gap through the design, development and evaluation of a prototype app to support children with ASD overcome their difficulties with changes. We report on preliminary work in developing this app, in which we decided not to involve children with ASD before getting some evidence that the app may be useful and suitable for them. Therefore, the design at this stage was informed by the research literature and design studies involving typically developing (TD) children, practitioners and researchers. The evaluation studies revealed that: 1) the app is easy to use; 2) the activities are perceived as fun and engaging; 3) the app may be suitable for children with ASD. Future work will extend the evaluation studies to include children with ASD and more practitioners.