Participatory Evaluation with Autistic Children

Abstract

Participatory Design (PD) has become a standard methodology in HCI, however, the evaluation of the outcomes of participatory processes is often exclusively driven by researcher defined measures of success. Through our work with autistic children, who have radically different life worlds from our own, it became evident that their criteria for the success of a project are most likely also very different. In order to address the limitations of researcher defined and led evaluations in this context, we developed an approach for participatory evaluation called PEACE (Participatory Evaluation with Autistic ChildrEn). Using this approach, we were able to include autistic children in dedicated evaluation phases through the co-definition of goals and methods, joint processes of data gathering and the co-interpretation of results. We discuss three case studies in which we successfully applied our approach and conclude with a reflection on the novel insights created through participatory evaluation and researchers' roles in such a process.

Collaborative Virtual Environment to Facilitate Game Design Evaluation with Children with ASC

“…While important research continues on the adaptation of traditional face-to-face UCD methods to support the involvement of children with autism (Benton et al, 2011;Hourcade, 2017;Leo & Leroy, 2008;Millen et al, 2011;Spiel et al, 2017), this paper discusses an alternative or supplementary approach in which design sessions can be computer-mediated. We explored the use of CVEs for this purpose, drawing on their afforded benefits to support children with autism (Cheng et al, 2015;Didehbani et al, 2016;Myles et al, 2007;Parsons, Newbutt and Wallace, 2014;Schuller et al, 2015;Stendal & Balandin, 2015).…”

“…However, children with ASC are involved less frequently in technology design than their typically developing peers, and often with a more limited role (Guha, Druin & Fails, 2008). An adapted approach to the PD method is often required when seeking to involve children with autism due to their specific needs (see, for example, Benton et al, 2011;Hourcade, 2017;Leo & Leroy, 2008;Millen, Cobb, & Patel, 2011;Spiel, Malinverni, Good, & Frauenberger, 2017).…”

Evaluating Technologies with and for Disabled Children

“…This is opening new perspectives for design, rooted for instance in interdependence [1], moving beyond models isolating children with disabilities and their assistive technologies from their social and institutional context. It also broadens what may count as educational, exploring the social and experiential [6,8] aspects of interacting with technologies. However, there are no consensuses within the community on how to evaluate impact of technologies on relationships in a holistic way, either when evaluating them at the individual level or in context.…”

“…But for researchers working within an interdependence framework, there is a need to expand evaluation beyond the time in which children are interacting with a prototype. Frameworks for participatory evaluation [8] might be better suited, and are a practical way to look at interactions through time, for instance by scheduling short interviews well after initial use. It furthermore enables considerations of technologies' impacts on values and preferences.…”

Um Modelo de Interação Adaptável para Design Participativo com Crianças com Deficiência Intelectual

“…Dessa forma, existem na literatura trabalhos que demonstram pesquisas relevantes sobre o processo de DP, mas, poucos demonstram interesse em envolver crianças como parte do PD [14]. O problema torna-se ainda mais difícil quando se trata de crianças na tenra idade com problemas de neurodesenvolvimento, como é o caso de crianças autistas, que não possuem condições psicológicas para responderem os questionamentos na fase de coleta de dados por não terem capacidade cognitiva e habilidades linguísticas suficientes [21]. Dessa forma, essas crianças ficam impossibilitadas de expressar suas preferências de design nas aplicações para o desenvolvimento de ferramentas computacionais criadas exclusivamente para pessoas com características de interação semelhante.…”