ABCD SW: Autistic Behavior & Computer-based Didactic SW
The ABCD SW project was funded by the Region of Tuscany within the framework of public notice FAS 2007 2013 CIPE 166/2007 PAR FAS Tuscany Region Course of Action 1.1.a.3. Support for research projects in the field of socio-economic sciences and the humanities.
Duration 30 months, starting from February 14, 2011.
The project’s mission was to define an educational methodology in accordance with the ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) Model, and to create Open Source software (SW) tools to support learning in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Two types of teaching tools are offered:
- Basic training modules following the principles of ABA educational methodology, accessible by computer and able to be combined into more complex sequences, according to the abilities and needs of the child
- Software tools for monitoring the degree of learning of the children, allowing reorganization of the teaching objectives by the tutor/parents, through simple, easy-to-use user interfaces. La decision to create Open Source software was motivated by the desire to allow a rapid spread throughout the network and thus greater use by stakeholders (educators, schools, households), and at the same time to benefit from any improvements suggested by the community of Internet users. More information about ABCD SW. More informations about ABCD SW
Motivations and targets of Users
Statistical studies on the prevalence of autism show that it has increased dramatically, going from 1 in 2,000 children born in 1980 to 1 in 150 births in 2007, an alarming trend [1,4].
The term Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) refers to subjects with severe qualitative impairment of social integration and communication, and repetitive or restricted activities and interests (DSM IV-TR). The severity and symptoms of autism vary widely from child to child; there may be either presence or absence of verbal language, cognitive deficits, stereotyped and/or self-harming behavior, etc. This leads to the demand for various learning strategies based on different teaching modules that can be adapted to the individual needs of each child.
Conventional teaching techniques are ineffective in children with autism for various reasons, such as greater sensory/auditory sensitivity, difficulty remaining in noisy places (such as school classrooms), difficulty concentrating, etc. These children are in need of specific techniques to support learning. The aim of this project is to define an ad hoc educational methodology for autistic children and the creation of learning paths accessible by computer in order to create more efficient and effective ABA therapy. The idea is to map the principles of ABA in the development of specific software, with SW modules that facilitate the development of language, cognitive processes, and possibly relating to others, in children with autism.
Various studies show that early, intensive educational intervention leads to the best results [2, 3], which is why the educational tools and software to be implemented in this project are mainly aimed at children in nursery school or kindergarten.
The same tools can be used with older children who need to acquire more skills and abilities related to basic ABA programs.
References
1. American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 2000
2. Epidemiology of autism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism#Epidemiology
3. Stephen R. Anderson, Raymond G. Romanczyk. Early Intervention for Young Children with Autism: Continuum-Based Behavioral Models. The Journal of The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, Volume: 24, Issue:3, 1999; pp.162-173
4. Christina M. Corsello. Early intervention in autism. Infants & Young Children, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 74–85. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.
5. Scott M. Myers, Chris Plauché Johnson and the Council on Children With Disabilities. Management of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Pediatrics 2007;120;1162-1182, DOI: 10.1542/peds.2007-2362