The Effectiveness of Augmented Virtual Reality Applications on Developing Non-Verbal Social Communication for Pre-School Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the State Of Qatar

The current research aimed to design simple application software based on augmented reality (AR) technology, which may contribute to the development of some of the non-verbal communication skills in a sample of 20 children with an autism spectrum disorder, aged between 5 and six years in the state of Qatar. The study used a questionnaire to measure the current non-verbal social skills designed by researchers, in addition to developing some AR applications on tablets. The study followed a quasi-experimental approach based on one experimental group with a pre-and-post design. Some non-parametric statistical methods were used. The proposed application is expected to help children with autism spectrum develop skills to recognize basic human emotions such as happiness, surprise, sadness, anger, fear, and pain. Also, the application helps develop some adaptive behaviors in some hazardous situatuations such as drowning and electricity. Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder, augmented virtual reality; non-verbal communication skills; preschool children