Design and Development of Interactive TherapySystem for Children with Autism

Abstract

Early diagnosis of autism and intervention of medical treatment are very significant to develop specific social communication skill for children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs). But they have difficulties in medical treatment because of lack of a public welfare institution and special medical system. In particular, few children can access such treatment and the existing single-therapist clinics are inefficient with regard to cost and time. Therefore, new methods should be studied for developing various products, services, and systems for autistic children. This study discusses the potential use of an interactive design as assistive technology for such children. We utilize the experience gained in the collaborative design of the interactive therapy system (ITS). The key methods include a collaborative design with rapid interactive prototyping, heuristic evaluation, user-centered process, VR technology, tangible interface, and scenario-based contents. We applied these methods to the ITS and proved the efficiency of interactive design as an assistive technology through clinical experimentation.