Improving Social Communication Level for Mildly Autistic Children Using Video Call-Based Mobile Application Game

Abstract

Mildly autistic children lack effective social communication skills, making it crucial to utilize modern technology to elevate their social communication and help them blend in with their community. This study improved social communication skills for preschool children aged 4-6 with mild autism by using a mobile application game that relies on video conferencing technology, personalized experience, positive reinforcement, and an AI text-to-speech algorithm. A survey filled out by 2,536 autistic individuals and medical professionals optimized the application's UI/UX to their likings. After the implementation of the application, an experiment was conducted with two groups: 300 participants who used the application for 12 weeks (1 hour daily) and a control group of 100 who did not use the application. The effectiveness of the application in improving social communication with consideration for gender and demographic areas was tested. Both groups were assessed before and after the experiment using the standard Social Communication Questionnaire. The results of an unpaired t-test indicated a significant difference in social communication between the experimental group and the control group with a P-value of 0.0001. An unpaired t-test found no significant difference in social communication levels between participants from urban or rural regions, nor between male or female participants. This concluded that the application is an effective tool to improve social communication skills for mildly autistic children all around the country three times more than regular therapy, regardless of their gender or socioeconomic background, taking the first step towards the formation of a global network for mildly autistic children.