title: Starting research in interaction design with visuals for low-functioning children in the autistic spectrum: a protocol.
abstract: On starting to think about interaction design for low-functioning persons in the autistic spectrum (PAS), especially children, one finds a number of questions that are difficult to answer: Can we typify the PAS user? Can we engage the user in interactive communication without generating frustrating or obsessive situations? What sort of visual stimuli can we provide? Will they prefer representational or abstract visual stimuli? Will they understand three-dimensional (3D) graphic representation? What sort of interfaces will they accept? Can we set ambitious goals such as education or therapy? Unfortunately, most of these questions have no answer yet. Hence, we decided to set an apparently simple goal: to design a "fun application," with no intention to reach the level of education or therapy. The goal was to be attained by giving the users a sense of agency--by providing first a sense of control in the interaction dialogue. Our approach to visual stimuli design has been based on the use of geometric, abstract, two-dimensional (2D), real-time computer graphics in a full-body, non-invasive, interactive space. The results obtained within the European-funded project MultiSensory Environment Design for an Interface between Autistic and Typical Expressiveness (MEDIATE) have been extremely encouraging.
authors.affiliation: Audiovisual Institute, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. npares@iua.upf.edu
authors.forename: Narcís
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Parés
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carreras
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Durany
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.forename: Pere
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Freixa
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: Orit
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kruglanski
authors.forename: Roc
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parés
authors.forename: J Ignasi
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Ribas
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soler
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanjurjo
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004777:Environment; D005717:Games, Experimental; D006801:Humans; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012107:Research Design; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014584:User-Computer Interface