Handhold Adaptive, LLC — Department of Education SBIR Phase II: Purpose: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disabilities characterized

Description

Purpose: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disabilities characterized by deficits in social competence, communication skills, and behaviors that are restricted and repetitive. ASD are one of the fastest growing disability categories in the country, with recent prevalence rates of 1 in 110 children. Many students with ASD rely on visual supports to engage in learning in education settings. The purpose of this project is to fully develop a product to allow teachers to customize and present different visual supports in supporting students with ASD. Project Activities: Phase I work demonstrated the feasibility of a prototype to assist students in staying on task, organizing and sequencing time, and transitioning between activities. In Phase II, the team will increase the product's usability and accessibility, and will add new features requested by users such as visual checklists and training materials for easier implementation. All features will be developed to ensure that the product is easy to operate and incorporate into education practice. Once complete, a pilot study will be conducted to test implementation feasibility, the usability of the technology, and the promise of the product to improve both teacher instruction and the behaviors of students with ASD. The sample will include 10 special education instructors and approximately 40 students with ASD.