Digitally Assisting Students with Language Disorders - Designing a prototype of a digital assistive tool for use in school by students with Developmental Language Disorder

Introduction Developmental Language Disorder is a learning disability that affects how well someone learns language, and is fairly commonly occurring. This condition is not very well explored within the Assistive Technology field when it comes to school age individuals. This thesis explores how action research methods can be used to develop assistive technology for Developmental Language Disorder, specifically for use in schools. The problem tackled in this study is the lack of research concerning digital assistive tools for school age children with Developmental Language Disorder. Research Question The goal of this study is to answer the research question: “How can a prototype for a digital tool be developed through action research methods to help educators support students who have Developmental Language Disorder with their education and language development?” Method The study completed a full cycle of Action Research. Data collection was made through semi-structured interviews with educators who had specific expertise in working with students who have Developmental Language Disorder. The data collected in these interviews was analysed with Thematic Analysis, and the results formed the basis for a prototype of a digital tool meant to assist the educators and students. Assessment of the prototype was performed through a variation of Critique in the Design Studio with the expert educators, and the data from the assessments was again analysed with Thematic Analysis. Results The results from the interviews was an abundance of data regarding needs and wants of the potential users. Responses from the participants showed the highly specific needs of the users, and paying close attention to these made it possible to make a prototype for a product that would fulfil these needs. The prototype was then used in an assessment, which provided positive responses from the participants regarding the prototype’s potential. Discussion The results of this study highlight the need to involve users early in the design process, and the importance of paying attention to their specific needs, particularly when designing for disability. The current study had a small sample size of participants who were all educators. Future research would need to be done with more participants and would need to involve the students themselves.