Barriers to Technology Inclusion: Teens with ASD and Typically-Developing Peers

Background:

Current standards and guidelines for creating accessible web and information technology have focused on people with visual, auditory, and motor differences. Some attention is now being paid to cognitive differences, but little attention has been paid to creating evidence-based guidelines for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). With the nearly ubiquitous use of technology among teens with autism and a desire to enter technology-involved careers, little research has been done to understand what programs (applications) are being used, whether teens with ASD can use them, and whether current design guidelines adequately address the diverse needs of people with ASD.

Objectives:

The purpose of this research was to understand which commonly-used applications are difficult for teens with ASD to use and to identify avenues for improvement.

Methods:

An anonymous 80-question survey was administered online to parents/guardians of ASD and typically developing (TD) children ages 13-17 living in the US with and without ASD. Participants were recruited through the Interactive Autism Network (IAN) and social media. The survey was administered during October and November 2015.

Results:

348 survey instances were completed: ASD=264 (76%); TD=84(24%). Male-to-female gender ratios for TD (1:1) and ASD (5.87:1) were in the expected range.

Three groups were used for analysis: ASD with normal-or-above intellectual ability (ASD-Average); ASD with lower-than-normal intellectual ability (ASD-Low); and TD. No TD teens were attributed with lower-than-normal intellectual ability. Logistic regression was used to compare program use and difficulty across groups, controlling for the child’s age, gender, race (white/non-white), and ethnicity (Hispanic/Non-Hispanic).

In general, teens were using a wide variety of applications, with ASD-Low teens using fewer office/productivity applications and having more difficulty when using them than ASD-Average and TD groups. For entertainment applications, fewer ASD-Low teens were using and they had greater difficulty than the other groups. There was no significant difference between the groups in the use or difficulty of educational applications, which tend to be tailored for different skill levels. See Table 1.

We asked the parents of teens with ASD the open-ended question: What advice do you have for people who design computers and other digital devices, computer applications, and web pages so that they could improve these technologies for your child? A thematic content analysis revealed the following themes for the ASD groups, in order of frequency: interfaces should be simple, predictable, error free, accommodate motor differences, and be respectful and age-appropriate regardless of level of functioning. These themes are very much in line with the guidelines for people with cognitive and motor differences.

Conclusions:

Most of the teens in this study with ASD were active technology users. When programs were tailored to the needs of the ASD-Low teens, they are able to use them. People who design office/productivity and entertainment applications should provide simplified versions so that people with lower intellectual ability and cognitive differences can have equal access to occupational and entertainment opportunities. Adherence to current accessibility guidelines for people with cognitive and motor differences will help increase technology access for people with ASD.