EAPSI: Design of augmentative and alternative communication devices for Japanese children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

患有自闭症谱系障碍的儿童在与他人交流方面有困难，他们使用增强和替代交流(AAC)设备。虽然这些设备在美国随处可见，但在日本却更难找到。该研究项目的目标是与参与支持和照顾日本自闭症谱系障碍儿童的社区成员合作，设计和测试一种根据他们的需求量身定做的AAC设备。这项研究将在日本广岛大学进行，由言语语言病理学家川井博士赞助。川井博士是一名言语语言病理学家，研究自闭症谱系障碍的日本儿童。AAC系统帮助个人通过纸质工具、移动应用程序和独立设备等方式进行通信。该项目将通过与利益相关者(例如，家长、治疗师、研究生和儿童)举行参与性设计研讨会，设计一个适合日本儿童使用的文化上合适的AAC系统。参与式设计研讨会是一种让社区参与创建有用的、可访问的工具的方法。通过研讨会和一对一访谈，将创建AAC系统的原型，这将导致针对日本自闭症谱系障碍儿童的AAC系统的最终设计。基于最终原型的该系统的工作版本将被创建，并将在日本患有自闭症谱系障碍的儿童中进行测试。该项目将突出日本当地利益相关者和美国研究人员之间发生的辅助技术设计过程，增强我们对这一跨文化过程的理解。通过这样做，它将有助于开发能够促进跨文化的辅助技术设计工作的框架。该NSF EAPSI奖是与日本科学促进会合作资助的。

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, who have difficulty communicating with others, use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. While these devices can be found in the United States in abundance, they are more difficult to find in Japan. The goal of this research project is to work with community members involved in the support and care of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Japan to design and test an AAC device that is tailored to their needs. This work will be conducted at Hiroshima University in Japan under the sponsorship of Dr. Norimune Kawai, a speech language pathologist who works with Japanese children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. AAC systems aid individuals to communicate via approaches such as paper-based tools, mobile applications, and stand-alone devices. This project will design a culturally appropriate AAC system for use by Japanese children through participatory design workshops with stakeholders (e.g., parents, therapists, graduate students, and the children). Participatory design workshops are a method used to engage the community in the creation of useful, accessible tools. Through workshops and one-on-one interviews, prototypes of AAC systems will be created, which will lead to a final design of an AAC system for Japanese children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. A working version of the system based on the final prototype will be created and it will be tested by Japanese children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This project will highlight the process of designing assistive technology as it occurs between local stakeholders in Japan and American researchers, enhancing our understanding of this cross-cultural process. In doing so, it will help develop frameworks that can facilitate assistive technology design work across cultures. This NSF EAPSI award is funded in collaboration with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.