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. 2018 Oct 23:9:2020.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02020. eCollection 2018.

Tablet Apps to Support First School Inclusion of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in Mainstream Classrooms: A Pilot Study

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Tablet Apps to Support First School Inclusion of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in Mainstream Classrooms: A Pilot Study

Charles Fage et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

The inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in mainstream classrooms is dramatically impeded by their difficulties in socio-adaptive behaviors. This paper presents a package of mobile applications consisting of both assistive and cognitive rehabilitation applications to support first school inclusion of children with ASD. These applications have been tested in a 3-month intervention in mainstream schools and at home, involving 50 participants (30 children with ASD, half of which was equipped and 20 equipped children with intellectual deficiencies). Benefits on socio-adaptive behaviors and social response in school settings, and socio-cognitive functioning have been assessed. The main results showed that equipped children with ASD improved their socio-adaptive behaviors and their social-response in school settings. Both equipped groups increased their socio-cognitive functioning.

Keywords: adaptive behavior; assistive technologies for persons with disabilities; autism spectrum disorders (ASD); intellectual disability; school inclusion.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
School+ package (“Make your choice”; “Training”; “Assistance”).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Intervention procedure.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Flowchart of statistical analysis.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Pre- and post-intervention scores on each socio-cognitive test for each group (control-ASD vs. tablet-ASD vs. tablet-ID).
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Pre- and post-intervention scores of Social, School, and Leisure behaviors of EQCA-VS for each group (control-ASD vs. tablet-ASD vs. tablet-ID).
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Pre- and post-intervention scores on each domain of SRS for each group (control-ASD vs. tablet-ASD vs. tablet-ID).

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