Usability of a Multi-Touch Tabletop Surface to Enhance Social Competence Training for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

We present the results of a usability study of a co-located suite of games (the Join-In suite) run on a multi-user tabletop surface to support social competence training for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This suite has been designed to implement different patterns of collaboration to support teachers and therapists in their use of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Following a participatory design process that included three focus groups of occupational therapists, teachers and children with ASD, a field study was conducted where two occupational therapists used the system for social competence training during a single one hour session with four pairs of boys with high functioning ASD, aged 9-13 years. Outcome measures included two usability questionnaires, the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory and interviews with the boys who participated in the study. Responses of the therapists to the System Usability Scale were also recorded. Results showed great enjoyment of the games as well as clear preferences amongst them. The participants demonstrated proficient use of the collaboration patterns embedded within each game, showing a range of abilities in social competence. The use of collaborative patterns embedded in the structure of the Join-In suite appeared to be effective in leveraging the engaging power of computer games as well as capturing a level of ecological validity which is often not sufficiently present in computer games alone.