Experience and Development Needs for Tablet PC-Based Applications to Improve Communication Skills of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore experiences and developmental needs of using a tablet PC-based application to improve communication skills in children with autism spectrum disorder(ASD). Methods: Participants were six caregivers of children with ASD aged 3 to 5 years who were nonverbal or had an expressive vocabulary of 50 words or less with experience of using AVATA-AAC application, a tablet PC-based AAC intervention program, for at least six weeks. One-on-one in-depth interviews were conducted with these children's mothers. Transcripts were then analyzed. Results: Interviews were categorized into three main themes: experience with the application, need for age- and ability-appropriate application development, and need for application usability. These themes were further subdivided into twelve subthemes. Conclusion: This study highlights high expectations and needs of parents for digital therapies and limitations of developing applications for children with ASD.