Phase II. Digital Interactive Scene Program for Language in Autism (DISPL-A)

描述(由申请人提供)：自闭症谱系障碍(ASD)在美国每110名儿童中就有1名受到影响。疾病控制中心(CDC)估计，目前美国有730,000名0至21岁的儿童患有自闭症。语言障碍是自闭症的一个共同特征，通常影响更抽象的语言成分(如介词、形容词)和概念的习得。50%的自闭症患者无法以其他基本方式解释或使用口语，这极大地抑制了所有年级和环境的学习。语言技能和理解力对课堂学习的价值已经确立。研究表明，视觉支持(图像和视频)是自闭症儿童有效的语言支持工具。然而，现有的视觉教学方法使用孤立的语言元素，并且不教授真实世界和语言表示之间的关键上下文关系(例如概括)。基于先前的研究，有逻辑但未经检验的是，类似视频的场景和相应的离散图像的结构化应用可以加速语言技能的获得，进而促进自闭症儿童的学习。拟议的项目，自闭症语言数字互动场景计划(DISPL-A)第二阶段将使教师能够通过基于网络的创作环境，创建包含定制动画场景的高度互动的课程，以帮助自闭症学生以渐进的方式提高概括能力和语言技能。DISPL-A第二阶段的创新在于将六种有效的语言教学策略与一个复杂的动画引擎相结合，该引擎可以根据需要生成定制的动画场景。随着ASD人口的持续增长，需要经过验证的、有效的教学方法。研究人员将评估这一假设：DISPL-A阶段II可以(A)提高概括能力，导致(B)更强的语言能力，包括对自闭症儿童复杂句型的理解和使用。研究将作为单一受试者的实验设计进行(Barlow，Nock和Herson，2009；Kearns，2005)。将采用具有多探头组件的跨行为的多基线设计。DISPL-A第二阶段扩展了在成功的DISPL-A第一阶段工作中开始的工作，并将被整合到MTT公司在商业上成功的产品“VizZle(R)”中。根据VizZle(注册商标)目前的销售额和用户增长率，DISPL-A第二阶段可能在未来5年内，通过提高语言技能和概括能力，帮助大约73万名患有自闭症的儿童中的15%-30%“学会如何学习”。 与公共卫生相关：据估计，美国目前有730,000名学龄儿童患有自闭症，并且在过去20年中呈高速增长，因此需要有效和实用的自闭症治疗方法。目前，除了教育发展沟通能力外，没有其他治疗方法。基于视觉的语言工具被认为是发展语言技能的最有效手段之一。一个所有照顾者都可以轻松访问的基于网络的系统可以提供一种宝贵而廉价的手段来帮助患有自闭症的个人。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects 1 in 110 children in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that there are currently 730,000 children in the U.S. between 0 and 21 with ASD. Language impairment is a common characteristic of ASD, commonly affecting the acquisition of more abstract language components (i.e. prepositions, adjectives) and concepts. Fifty percent of ASD individuals are unable to interpret or use spoken language in other than rudimentary ways, greatly inhibiting learning at all grade levels and settings. The value of language skills and comprehension to classroom learning is well established. Research shows that visual supports (images and videos) are an effective language support tool for children with ASD. However, existing visual instruction methods use isolated language elements and do not teach critical contextual relationships (such as generalization) between the real world and language representations. Based on prior research it is logical, but untested, that a structured application of video-like scenes and corresponding discrete images could accelerate acquisition of language skills and, by extension, learning by ASD children. The proposed project, Digital Interactive Scene Program for Language in Autism (DISPL- A) Phase II will give teachers the ability, via a web-based authoring environment, to create highly interactive lessons incorporating custom-animated scenes which will help ASD students improve, in progressive fashion, generalization and language skills. The DISPL-A Phase II innovation lies in the combination of six effective strategies for teaching language coupled with a sophisticated animation engine that generates custom animated scenes "on demand". Proven, effective instructional approaches are needed as the ASD population continues to grow. Researchers will evaluate the hypothesis: DISPL-A Phase II can (a) improve the ability to generalize, leading to (b) greater language ability, including complex sentence structure comprehension and use in children with autism. Research will be conducted as a single subject experimental design (Barlow, Nock and Herson, 2009; Kearns, 2005). A multiple baseline across behaviors design with a multiple probe component will be employed. DISPL-A Phase II extends the work begun in the successful DISPL-A Phase I effort and will be integrated into MTT's commercially successful product "VizZle(R)". Based on current sales and user growth rates of VizZle(R), DISPL-A Phase II may, in the next five years, be able to help 15%-30% of the estimated 730,000 children with ASD "learn how to learn" by improving language skills and generalization abilities. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: With an estimated 730,000 U.S. school-age children currently with autism, and a high growth rate over the last 20 years, effective and practical autism treatments are needed. There is currently no treatment except educational development of communication capabilities. Visually-based language tools are considered one of the most effective means of developing language skills. A web-based system easily accessible by all caregivers could provide a valuable and inexpensive means of assisting individuals with ASD.