Insights from User Testing of Jellow: A Communication Aid for Children with Developmental Disabilities

Srinivasan, Sudha; Poovaiah, Ravi; Sen, Ajanta

doi:10.1007/978-981-10-3518-0_79

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…We used an iterative and participatory user-centric design process to develop the pictorial symbols and textual content for Jellow (Boster & McCarthy, 2018;Lubas et al, 2014;Srinivasan et al, 2017). The only other systems that have been specifically designed for the Indian population include the Avaz app and the AutVisComm communication system (Sampath et al, 2013;Sankardas & Rajanahally, 2017).…”

Section: Background Of Study and Summary Of Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The system required the child to click on a combination of expressive and category icons to activate pre-recorded, digitized messages corresponding to the user's selection. Thereafter, the first tier of usability testing was conducted with 7-10-year-old typically developing children (Srinivasan et al, 2017). Based on these study findings, we significantly expanded Jellow's content and functionality, and transitioned from digitized to synthesized speech for the high-tech version of Jellow, by taking advantage of in-built text-to-speech engines within Android/Windows/Apple platforms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Efficacy of a novel augmentative and alternative communication system in promoting requesting skills in young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in India: A pilot study

Srinivasan

Patel

Khade

et al. 2022

Autism & Developmental Language Impairments

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Background & aims: The study assessed the efficacy of a novel, child-friendly, socio-culturally sensitive, icon-based Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system called Jellow Communicator, in teaching requesting skills to young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a special school in Mumbai, India. Jellow is a comprehensive AAC system with a lexicon and pictorial library designed using a participatory, user-centric design process. The content of Jellow has been developed bearing in mind the socio-cultural and linguistic diversity of India. Jellow is available in low-tech (flashcards, booklet) and high-tech (Android and iOS app and desktop application) versions. Methods: The quasi-experimental longitudinal study involved seventeen 3.5–12-year-old children with ASD with communication challenges. Children were taught to use the Jellow AAC system to request for preferred items, as part of their regular speech therapy sessions. Each child received one-on-one training sessions with a licensed speech therapist twice a week over a 3-month duration, with each session lasting around 20–30 min. A systematic training protocol adapted from the original Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) was developed to train children to use the Jellow system, progressing from flashcards to the app version of Jellow. Behavioral training strategies such as modeling, least-to-most prompting, differential reinforcement, and behavior chain interruption were used to facilitate requesting behaviors. The speech therapist assessed children's developmental level across multiple domains at pretest and posttest. We coded 3 videos per child, i.e., one early, one mid, and one late training session each, to assess changes in children's stage of communication, spontaneous requesting abilities, level of attention during training trials, and average time to completion for requesting trials. In addition, caregivers filled out questionnaires to assess training-related changes in children's adaptive functioning levels as well as the psychosocial impact of the Jellow AAC system on children's quality of life. Results: Children significantly improved their stage of communication, and a majority of children transitioned from flashcards to using the Jellow app to request for preferred items. Children also increased the proportion of spontaneous requests over the course of training. Caregivers reported a positive perceived psychosocial impact of the Jellow AAC system on their child's self-esteem, adaptability, and competence. Conclusions: The findings from our pilot study support the use of the novel, socio-culturally adapted, Jellow Communicator AAC system for teaching requesting skills to young children with ASD who use multiple communication modalities. Future studies should replicate our findings with a larger group of participants using a randomized controlled trial design. Implications: This is the first experimental study to systematically assess the effects of an indigenously-developed comprehensive AAC system adapted to the sociocultural and linguistic landscape of India. Our study results provide support for the use of the cost-effective Jellow Communicator AAC system in facilitating requesting skills in children with ASD who use multiple communication modalities. Clinicians can use low-tech and high-tech versions of Jellow to promote communication skills in children with ASD.

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Section: Background Of Study and Summary Of Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficacy of a novel augmentative and alternative communication system in promoting requesting skills in young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in India: A pilot study

Srinivasan

Patel

Khade

et al. 2022

Autism & Developmental Language Impairments

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…They are quick, portable, and effective for conveying new content but are limited by the need for the recipient to understand sign or gestural communication. However, they can be challenging for children with motor and cognitive impairments due to the required fine motor skills and memory [5,6].…”

Section: Figure 1: Jellow Communicatormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Contrary to earlier concerns, evidence suggests that early use of AAC systems can promote speech development in children. Preferences among individuals with disabilities tend to lean towards aided systems, particularly SGDs, over unaided ones, due to their effectiveness in enhancing communication and teaching language skills [5].…”

Section: Figure 1: Jellow Communicatormentioning

confidence: 99%

Gamifying Jellow: A Communication Aid for Children with Developmental Disabilities

Shete

2021

J Eng App Sci Technol

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This paper explores enhancing the Jellow Basic Communicator, an AAC app for children with speech disabilities, through gamification. It examines user feedback, revealing low engagement and difficulties in memory retention. The study integrates Information Processing Theory into game design to improve attention and learning. Key findings suggest that gamification, including icon-based activities and multi-sensory techniques, can significantly enhance the app’s effectiveness. The paper discusses the potential impact of these features on cognitive development and suggests areas for future research, including diverse user testing and long-term effectiveness studies.

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Insights from User Testing of Jellow: A Communication Aid for Children with Developmental Disabilities

Cited by 2 publications

References 11 publications

Efficacy of a novel augmentative and alternative communication system in promoting requesting skills in young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in India: A pilot study

Efficacy of a novel augmentative and alternative communication system in promoting requesting skills in young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in India: A pilot study

Gamifying Jellow: A Communication Aid for Children with Developmental Disabilities

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