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

该项目将通过改善眼神接触，为自闭症谱系障碍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。目前帮助这些儿童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，每月要花费家庭数千美元，每周需要25-40小时，可衡量的改善不到47%。该项目在初步测试中取得了积极成果，预计将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，自闭症谱系障碍儿童将能够建立和保持友谊，更充分地参与社会，为他们成为自立的成年人做好准备，并增加他们的就业机会。此外，这一方案还可以扩大到其他残疾儿童或非残疾儿童，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，为他们成为自立的成年人做好准备，并增加他们的就业机会。潜在客户将包括家长、学区和其他专业和非专业护理人员。对这一计划的高度需求将创造市场增长，创造新的就业机会和创造税收。这个项目的目标是开发一个多感官程序，为智能移动的设备开发，以改善自闭症谱系障碍儿童？的社会技能，使他们能够作为他们的典型同龄人谁没有自闭症谱系障碍。这个目标是通过开发一个互动程序来实现的，该程序教授社交技能，通过改善感觉整合和调节过度活跃的杏仁核，与孩子认识和不认识的人进行眼神交流。资金将允许开发该计划，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接触改善。分析将反映术前与术后、干预与对照设计的解释要求。所有统计分析和检验将使用广泛使用的社会科学统计软件包（第17版或更高版本）进行，并在适当或边际结果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.