Technology-enhanced discriminative programs for children with autism

Autism impacts a subject's communication, socialization and language abilities with different degrees of severity. Intensive therapy is needed to improve and maintain these abilities over time. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) enriches communication with images, video or gestures to help children with autism understand a task. Discrete Trial Training (DTT), breaking up a task into small trials of increasing levels of difficulty (structured trials), is used in teaching autistic children. In this paper, we compare the progress of seven autistic children while carrying out both traditional and technology-enhanced Applied Behavior Analysis programs, including matching, receptive and expressive trials. Results show that with ABCD software learning time is reduced, as children in the sample required less time to master new articles and generalize previously mastered skills.