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Using Wearables to Augment Social Interactions for Adults with ASD

Friday, May 15, 2015: 10:00 AM-1:30 PM
Imperial Ballroom (Grand America Hotel)
L. E. Boyd1, A. Rangel2, S. Hirano1, L. Escobedo3, M. Tentori2 and G. R. Hayes1, (1)Informatics, UCI, Irvine, CA, (2)Computer Science, Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education of Ensenada, Ensenada, Mexico, (3)Computacion y sistemas, Instituto Tecnologico de Tijuana, Tijuana, Mexico
Background:   Leveraging the success of our android-based assistive application to support social skills (MOSOCO), we are building a tool on a Glass platform to further cut down on on the stigma associated with bulky assistive technologies by making a seamless tool that can be accessed without having to interrupt the social interaction it is supporting.

Objectives:  The overarching goal of this work is to establish the effectiveness of using the Glass platform to support social skills for adults with ASD in real-time and identify the underlying mechanisms that support improvements in social interactions. To prepare our tool for a deployment study, we aim to ensure our users find the tool helpful and easy to use in social interactions. 

Methods:  We conducted design sessions with adults with ASD to advance of initial prototype supported by the Glass Accessibility Program.

Results:  Using the Technology Acceptance Model, feedback from adults with ASD yielded user’s values related to assistive technology that impacted our design.

Conclusions: Acceptability of a tool by the user is a critical component to ensure technologies are truly useful and support the values of the user.