SBIR Phase I: Multi-Sensory Therapy Program for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

该项目将通过改善眼神交流，为诊断为自闭症谱系障碍的儿童开发一种多感官治疗方案。患有自闭症谱系障碍的儿童不容易进行眼神交流，而眼神交流是进步社会行为的关键组成部分。目前帮助这些孩子最大限度地发挥其能力的方法对许多人来说是遥不可及的，每个月花费数千美元，每周需要25-40小时，可衡量的改善率不到47%。该项目在初步测试中显示出积极的结果，并有望为自闭症谱系障碍儿童及其家庭面临的挑战提供负担得起的实用解决方案。随着社交技能的提高，患有自闭症谱系障碍的儿童将能够建立和维持友谊，更加充分地参与社会，为成为自立的成年人做好准备，并增加就业机会。此外，该项目还可以扩展到其他残疾儿童或无残疾儿童，从而提高他们建立和维持友谊的能力，使他们更充分地参与社会，为成为自力更生的成年人做好准备，并增加他们的就业机会。潜在客户包括家长、学区以及其他专业和非专业的护理人员。对该计划的高需求将创造市场增长，创造新的就业机会并产生税收。这个项目的目标是开发一个多感官程序，为智能移动设备开发，以改善患有自闭症谱系障碍的儿童。因此，他们可以像没有自闭症谱系障碍的典型同龄人一样工作。这一目标是通过开发一个互动项目来实现的，该项目教授社交技能，与孩子认识或不认识的人进行眼神交流，通过改善感觉整合和调节过度活跃的杏仁核。资金将允许该项目的发展，以测试、测量和量化自闭症谱系障碍儿童的感觉整合和眼神交流的改善。分析将反映前与后、干预与控制设计的解释要求。所有统计分析和测试将使用广泛使用的社会科学统计软件包版本17或更高版本进行，并在适当或边际发现时使用统计分析系统进行验证。

This project will develop a multi-sensory therapy program for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder by improving eye contact. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder do not make eye contact readily and eye contact is a key component in progressing social behavior. Current methodologies to assist these children in maximizing their capabilities are out of reach for many, costing families thousands of dollars a month, requiring 25-40 hours per week and offer measureable improvements at less than 47%. This project has shown positive results in preliminary testing and is expected to result in an affordable, practical solution to the challenges children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families encounter. As their social skills improve, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder will be able to build and maintain friendships, become more fully engaged in society, prepare them to become self-sustaining adults, and increase their employment opportunities. Additionally, this program can also be expanded to children with other disabilities or children without disabilities, resulting in increased ability to also build and maintain friendships, become more fully engaged in society to prepare them to become self-sustaining adults, and increase their employment opportunities. Potential customers will include parents, school districts, and other professional and nonprofessional caregivers. The high need for this program will create market growth, creating new jobs and generating tax revenue. The goal for this project is to develop a multi-sensory program, developed for smart mobile devices, that improves children with Autism Spectrum Disorder?s social skills so they can function as their typical peers who do not have Autism Spectrum Disorder. This goal is accomplished by developing an interactive program that teaches the social skill, making eye contact with individuals the child does and does not know, by improving sensory integration and regulating the overactive amygdala. Funding would allow for the development of the program to test, measure and quantify sensory integration and eye contact improvement for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Analyses will reflect the interpretation requirements of a Pre vs. Post, Intervention versus Control design. All statistical analyses and tests will be conducted using the widely used program Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 17 or higher and will be verified with Statistical Analysis System when appropriate or marginal findings.