Seleção de Aplicativos para o Ensino de Estudantes com Transtorno do Espectro do Autismo: O Protocolo POPApp-TEA

Abstract

The use of applications by individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has proven to be an effective strategy for the development and enhancement of social, communication, and learning skills in these individuals. With the growing popularity of mobile devices, a wide range of applications covering various categories and functionalities is now available to the ASD community. In the educational context, these applications need to be specifically adapted to the school environment, with functionalities aligned to pedagogical objectives that aid teachers in the intervention and schooling process of their students with ASD. This work comprises four studies. Study 1 aimed to elucidate the current context of applications for ASD through a systematic mapping of virtual application stores such as Google Play, Apple Store, Microsoft Store, and the Brazilian Public Software Portal, in addition to a bibliographic survey of theses and dissertations on applications for ASD in the CAPES (Catalog of Theses and Dissertations) and BDTD (Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations from IBICT) databases, with the objective of investigating Brazilian academic initiatives. Study 2 aimed to conduct a literature review exploring works discussing the usability of applications for ASD to identify the requirements and recommendations for the use of quality applications for ASD. Study 3 aimed to conduct a survey on applications for ASD in municipal schools in Dourados-MS, with the purpose of, based on these data, developing a guiding material for teachers, assisting them in the selection and evaluation of these applications. For the data collection of Study 3, data were gathered through questionnaires and interviews with Elementary School I teachers, identifying the needs of these educators for the use of applications with their students with ASD. The bibliographic data from Study 2, together with the data collected from the field research of Study 3, provided a theoretical and practical basis that supported the development of the Protocol for Guidance and Evaluation of Teachers on Applications for Autism Spectrum Disorder (POAPapp-ASD), a guiding protocol that assists teachers in evaluating applications for ASD, presented in Study 4 of this work. The results show that teachers have great interest in using applications for their students with ASD but need adequate training to use these resources.