Touching The Future Technology For Autism

International interest in the use of assistive and ambient information and communication technologies to support people with a range of cognitive impairments is growing rapidly. Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), which affect social skills, communicative abilities and behavior, are of particular interest. The number of diagnosed cases has continued to grow in recent decades, and the impairments associated with ASDs mean individuals affected are at risk of social isolation and marginalization. Although helping people with autism to overcome their difficulties has always required the joint expertise of various fields, the widely shared view is that innovative ICT may hold the key to more efficient support and intervention in the near future. This book summarizes the results and conclusions of HANDS, an international research and development project supported by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission. The aim of the HANDS project was to develop and test a smartphone-based cognitive support system for intellectually able young people with ASDs, with a focus on use in secondary school environments. The results presented here include the HANDS system: a partly mobile, partly web-based cognitive support system based on principles of Persuasive Design; a unique multi-mode research methodology, applying both various quantitative and qualitative techniques to test the applicability and efficiency of the system; an exploration of relevant conceptual issues from the point of view of Persuasive Design and its philosophical foundations; a mapping of key ethical issues related to developing and applying mobile ICT for individuals with autism and other cognitive impairments. The experiences of teachers who implemented the system in school environments are also summarized. These results can be seen as snapshots of an evolutionary process, but the conclusions drawn here are significant for future developments with mobile assistive technology for people with ASD, as well as for other conditions. The book will be of interest to professionals working with young people with ASD, human-computer interaction professionals, as well as others working in the broader field of mobile assistive technology.

International interest in the use of assistive and ambient information and communication technologies to support people with a range of cognitive impairments is growing rapidly. Autism spectrum disorders ASDs, which affect social skills, communicative abilities and behavior, are of particular interest. The number of diagnosed cases has continued to grow in recent decades, and the impairments associated with ASDs mean individuals affected are at risk of social isolation and marginalization. Although helping people with autism to overcome their difficulties has always required the joint expertise of various fields, the widely shared

Assistive Technology (AT) is the term used to describe products or technology-based services which support those with disabilities or other limitations to their daily activities, enabling them to enjoy a better quality of life. This book presents the proceedings of the 13th European Conference on the Advancement of Assistive Technology (AAATE 2015), held in Budapest, Hungary in September 2015. This biennial conference has established itself as a leading forum in the transdisciplinary area of Assistive Technology, providing a unique platform for the gathering of experts from around the world to review progress and challenges in the interdisciplinary fields which contribute to AT, such as research, development, manufacturing, supply, provision and policy. The theme of the 2015 conference is 'Attracting new areas and building bridges', and this book contains 138 reviewed papers and 28 poster presentations delivered at the conference, covering AT themes as diverse as aging, blindness, mobility, assisted living and accessibility for people with dementia and cognitive impairment. Offering a current overview of many aspects of AT, this book will be of interest to all those – from researchers and manufacturers to healthcare professionals and end-users – whose work or daily life involves the relationship between technology and disability.

As technology becomes an increasingly vital aspect of modern social interaction, the field of disability informatics and web accessibility has made significant progress in consolidating theoretical approaches and exploring new application domains for those with motor and cognitive disabilities. Disability Informatics and Web Accessibility for Motor Limitations explores the principles, methods, and advanced technological solutions in the use of assistive technologies to enable users with motor limitations. This book is essential for academia, industry, and various professionals in fields such as web application designers, rehabilitation scientists, ergonomists, and teachers in inclusive and special education. This publication is integrated with its pair book Assistive Technologies and Computer Access for Motor Disabilities.

As modern technologies continue to develop and evolve, the ability of users to interface with new systems becomes a paramount concern. Research into new ways for humans to make use of advanced computers and other such technologies is necessary to fully realize the potential of 21st century tools. Human-Computer Interaction: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications gathers research on user interfaces for advanced technologies and how these interfaces can facilitate new developments in the fields of robotics, assistive technologies, and computational intelligence. This four-volume reference contains cutting-edge research for computer scientists; faculty and students of robotics, digital science, and networked communications; and clinicians invested in assistive technologies. This seminal reference work includes chapters on topics pertaining to system usability, interactive design, mobile interfaces, virtual worlds, and more.

The increasingly pervasive use of digital technology has catapulted society into an interconnected world where the natural boundaries between humankind and machine, virtual and real, individual and community have become less perceptible. As individuals interact with different digital technologies, they must build a digital intelligence, which must be further cultivated as it is a key competency for the future of school and work. Digital intelligence includes understanding the mutual strengths between people and technology, as well as developing an awareness in the use of digital tools in order to avoid common threats such as cyberbullying, addiction to video games, techno-stress, and more. As adolescents continue to engage with virtual reality and 3D virtual worlds where the online and offline overlap and coincide, it is important to build this intelligence as well as utilize these technologies to promote successful learning. The Handbook of Research on Teaching With Virtual Environments and AI explores the new personalized educational opportunities that are available with digital technology and virtual environments that can be used within education. This book focuses on the use of these tools and how to navigate the use of new technologies such as AI and virtual environments for educational practices. While highlighting topics such as virtual worlds, game-based learning, intelligent tutoring, augmented reality, and more, this book is ideal for teachers, administrators, technologists, educational software developers, IT specialists, practitioners, researchers, academicians, and students interested in how virtual environments and AI are being implemented in teaching practices.

What is working in education in the UK - and what isn't? This book offers a highly readable guide to what the latest research says about improving young people's outcomes in pre-school, primary and secondary education. Never has this issue been more topical as the UK attempts to compete in the global economy against countries with increasingly educated and skilled work-forces. The book discusses whether education policy has really been guided by the evidence, and explores why the failings of Britain's educational system have been so resistant to change, as well as the success stories that have emerged. Making a Difference in Education looks at schooling from early years to age 16 and entry into Further Education, with a special focus on literacy, numeracy and IT. Reviewing a large body of research, and paying particular attention to findings which are strong enough to guide policy, the authors examine teacher performance, school quality and accountability, and the problematically large social gap that still exists in state school education today. Each chapter concludes with a summary of key findings and key policy requirements. As a comprehensive research review, Making a Difference in Education should be essential reading for faculty and students in education and social policy, and of great interest to teachers and indeed to anyone who wants to know about the effectiveness of UK education policy and practice, and where they should be going.

Recent advances in the field of ambient assistive living have addressed the integration of assistive technologies, e-health and personalized healthcare with the aim of enabling improved social experience as well as achieving better health outcomes. This book focuses on ambient assisted living systems and services for healthcare, a multi-disciplinary field encompassing areas such as electrical engineering, computer science, user-centered design and medicine. The book is divided into three parts: personalized healthcare monitoring technologies; ICT for ambient assistive living; and healing environments. The topics covered include sensor systems, wearable technologies, patient monitoring, home monitoring, personalized healthcare, user-centered design, ethical challenges and clinical evaluation. Providing an overview of new developments in e-health and personalized healthcare, the book will be of interest to engineers, designers and others working in the healthcare industry, and to medical practitioners.