Towards developing a learning tool for children with autism

Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) characterizes a vast range of developmental disabilities associated with social interaction, communication and behavior. The technological evolution of smart devices and applications has created several convenient approaches to deal with such illness effectively and easily. Though basic education is a must for everyone, but teaching autism community through traditional approach is still quite complex. Similarly, ICT based learning software that has been developed for autistic kids are also facing the interaction (e.g., how autistic kids may interact with the learning software or devices) challenges. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to introduce a cost-effective, portable and user-friendly interactive learning tool to provide autistic children with basic academics. The tool consist a pressure sensing keypad to provide an easy and flexible means of interaction for autistic kids. The tool is also evaluated in a laboratory environment to assess its effectiveness and usability.