Enhancing Social Skills in Children with Autism through a User-Centered Digital Art Therapy Tool

Social skill deficits are a core challenge for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in China. Digital art therapy tools offer a promising approach to enhance social skills, but often lack a user-centered design that considers the unique needs and preferences of this population. This paper proposes a user-centered digital art therapy tool designed to facilitate social interaction and communication among children with ASD in China. The proposed tool incorporates collaborative drawing activities, a reward system, and a customizable user interface based on insights from user research with children, parents, and therapists. A hypothetical 4-week intervention plan is presented to evaluate the tool’s effectiveness in enhancing social initiation, response, and engagement. The expected findings aim to contribute to the growing body of research on digital interventions for children with ASD and inform the design of culturally appropriate and accessible tools. The paper discusses the potential implications, limitations, and future directions for research and practice in the field of digital art therapy for children with ASD in China.