Teca: tecnologia educacional para crianças autistas

Abstract

Since the first studies in 1943, many advances were made in the identication, categorization and treatments of the Autism Spectrum Disorder. However, it has not yet been possible to identify precisely the causes for the manifestation of the symptoms that characterize autism. This fact increased the concerns of parents, friends and society in general. In order to the contribute to this issue, this dissertation presents the design, development, application and evaluation of the serious game TECA, Educational Technology for Autistic Children, designed from researches and observations of the characteristics, deficits, strengths and treatments common to this public, as from the analysis of the application of computer systems for education and the study of gamification components used in serious games. The TECA was created with the purpose of assisting in a playful, specialized and adaptive way in the development of autonomy and education of autistic children. Among the components used by the game, it can be highlighted the use of images and sounds before the activities, in plots that contextualize the application of the studied content, and during the activity, facilitating the understanding and association of the activities contents and consequently the learning, as well as the learning processing. Aiming a greater interaction between the game, the child and the environment in which they are inserted, various features, such as touchscreen, camera and augmented reality, are also used in its functionalities. In addition, mechanisms of adaptation to the student’s level and pace of learning were also inserted through a series of activities. The TECA game was used and tested by a group of 10 autistic children, who receive care in the Association of Parents and Friends of the Exceptional, APAE, in the city of Sobral / CE.The evaluation of the game was performed in two different ways: from the subjective perception of the parents and from the learning the childrengotfromthegame. The TECA game demonstrated significant increase in the percentage of children, in addition to a high approval rating of of the parents who participated in the project, regarding the used methodology, contributions to the development of cognitive and social skills, and elements of the game.