Uma abordagem inclusiva para design com crianças com autismo

Abstract

Despite the amount of research currently developed to provide technologies aimed at people with disabilities, many computational artifacts do not follow a design process that includes children with neurological diversity, which is even more notable including children with autism. Therefore, most available technological artifacts do not present appropriate interaction possibilities to support and improve therapeutic and educational activities for these children. The difficulties in involving children with autism in the design process are many and become greater the younger the children are. In this case, there are two main difficulties: the first is that in the case of children, in the initial school phase, they have to work with immediate feedback activities and the other is that as children with neurological disorders, such as autism, they still have difficulties of expression. This happens mainly because these children, due to their neurological conditions typical of autism, at the most severe levels of support, are unable to express their ideas and opinions in the design of new technologies. In order to understand how some technique involving the participation of children with autism could be applied, case studies were carried out, using the perspectives of inclusive design (ID) and participatory design (PD), all with the presence of parents and mediators of the children with autism. In the initial studies, a mobile application was used with the aim of maximizing the possibilities of recognizing the design ideas of children with autism, through playful activities, representing some everyday activities. In the last study, the longest, another artifact was developed and used, aimed at learning. The research was developed in partnership with educational entities that work with children and young people with autism and other neurological conditions such as Down syndrome, Asperger's and others. In this context, the methodology of this research project adopted in this thesis is based on a case study through a quantitative and qualitative approach following the precepts of ID and PD supported by the conceptual bases of Montessori educational scientific pedagogy and the strategies of Organizational Semiotics. The results obtained from the research demonstrate success in employing the proposed inclusive approach, achieving joint participation among the different actors involved in the project, especially children with autism, managing to include and involve them in all phases of the project and, in this way, recognizing their design priorities.