Assistive Technology for Adults on the Autism Spectrum: A Systematic Survey

Abstract

While the needs and care for children on the autism spectrum have been widely investigated, the intervention and services available to autistic adults have been overlooked for a long time. This survey paper reviewed 32 articles that described and evaluated assistive technologies that have been developed and evaluated through a complete circle of interactive product design from ideation, prototype, and user evaluation. These assistive technologies aim to improve independence and living quality in autistic adults. We extracted information from the perspective of requirement gathering, technology designing, and effectiveness of evaluation in the design cycle. We found a general lack of requirements-driven design, and the evaluation process was not standardized either. The lack of requirement gathering results in designs purely based on existing literature without targeting actual user needs. Our synthesis of included paper contributes to developing iterative design considerations in assistive technologies for autistic adults. We also suggest that assistive technologies for autistic adults shift some attention from assisting only autistic adults who require at least substantial support to embracing also those who have been living independently but rather have difficulties in social interaction. Assistive technologies for them have the potentials to help them consolidate and enhance their experiences in independent living.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This project is partly supported by the National Institute of Mental Health under [grant 1R03MH129734-01].

Notes on contributors

Manhua Wang

Manhua Wang is a PhD candidate in the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech. Her research interests are Human-Computer Interaction and Human Factors in Systems and Products Design. Her current research focuses on designing user-friendly interfaces for future automobiles and assistive technologies.

Myounghoon Jeon

Myounghoon Jeon is an Associate Professor in Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech. He received his PhD from Georgia Tech. His Mind Music Machine Lab conducts research on HCI/HRI with focus on emotions and sound in the application areas of automotive user interfaces, assistive robotics, and arts in XR.