Augmented Reality on your smartphone to Improve living skills in subjects with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that significantly impacts social interaction, communication, and adaptive behavior. One of the challenges for individuals with ASD is imitative and joint attention impairment, which can affect their ability to learn and perform daily activities. Video modeling (VM) has been shown to be an effective intervention for teaching various skills to individuals with ASD by leveraging observational learning. However, traditional VM often relies on therapist mediation, which limits the independence and autonomy of the learners. Recent advancements in technology, particularly in Augmentative Reality (AR), offer new possibilities for enhancing VM interventions. In this developmental and usability study, we evaluated the ShowMeHow app, which integrates AR to enable independent activation of VM on smartphones. The app was designed to improve the learning of daily living and social skills in individuals with ASD by providing video demonstrations in natural contexts. We tested a beta version of the app on a group of 20 adolescents with ASD level 2, focusing on its usability, effectiveness, and social validity. The study involved scenarios such as buying a ticket from an automatic machine and navigating a train station, aiming to replicate real-life situations. Our findings indicate that the Show Me How app is a promising tool for enhancing the learning experience of individuals with ASD. The app's user-friendly interface and AR features allowed users to independently access and follow video models, improving their ability to perform tasks in community settings. The study also assessed the app's usability through various metrics, including learnability, efficiency, efficacy, and satisfaction. Feedback from users and stakeholders, including therapists and parents, was collected to evaluate the app's social validity. Overall, this study highlights the potential of AR-enhanced VM to increase the autonomy and learning opportunities for individuals with ASD. By enabling self-directed learning in natural environments, the ShowMeHow app represents a significant step forward in the application of technology to support the developmental needs of individuals with ASD. Further research and development are warranted to refine the app and expand its application to a broader range of skills and user populations. © 2023 Copyright for this paper by its authors.