The Impact of Otsimo Speech Therapy on the Development of Language Skills in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

The current study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the AI-based Otsimo Speech Therapy application in developing language skills (receptive, expressive, and pragmatic) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study was conducted in the Irbid Governorate of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, utilizing a two-group (experimental and control) quasi-experimental design. The study sample consisted of 20 children (aged 4-8 years) with functional language impairment, who were selected via purposive sampling from four specialized centers based on the criteria of poor language performance and regular attendance of rehabilitative services. The Results indicated the presence of statistically significant differences favoring the experimental group in the overall language skills score and across all subdomains. Receptive skills demonstrated the largest effect size, followed by expressive and then pragmatic skills. These positive outcomes are attributed to the application’s capacity to provide an intensive, personalized, and adaptive intervention that dynamically adjusts to each child’s performance level and offers immediate feedback. Key recommendations include: encouraging the design and development of similar Arabic-language applications that are tailored to linguistic and cultural characteristics; incorporating training on such tools into specialist preparation programs; and conducting longitudinal studies to track the sustainability of therapeutic gains. Furthermore, the study recommends integrating these applications as supportive tools within comprehensive intervention plans, while reinforcing the role of both the family and the specialist in promoting the generalization of acquired skills to daily life.