The Impact of Aided Augmented Input with the EC+ App on the Development of Communicative Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Proceedings of The 7th International Conference on Research in Education, Teaching and Learning

Year: 2023

DOI:

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The Impact of Aided Augmented Input with the EC+ App on the Development of Communicative Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Antonio Javier Zurita Díaz, Marina Calleja Reina, María Sotillo

 

ABSTRACT: 

Aided augmented input drives expressive communication and comprehension through visual stimuli. It is possible to complement this teaching method with information and communication technologies (ICT), such as the EC+ app and the multimodal resources it offers. EC+ is a free application compatible with Android and IOS published in 2018, which adapts to the needs and abilities of users, being beneficial for teaching children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with complex communication needs. The aim of this research was to evaluate the impact of EC+ combined with assisted language in 3 children aged between 6 and 12 years with ASD, who broad communication disorder and whose main language is Spanish. In order to assess the participants in the area of communication, the Vineland-3 scale in its Communicative Range subscale was achieved at 3 different times: the first assessment at week 1, week 7, and week 16. The data were analyzed using the SPSS version 27 statistical program, resulting in a significant increase in the pressures in the communicative component. In conclusion, this approach implies a teaching innovation that can be adjusted to the needs and characteristics of the population with ASD, producing new forms of education given the characteristics of the ICT tool.

keywords: intervention, EC+, autism, communication, ICT