Details Play Experience by AT

Summary

Play Experience by Assistive Technology for play

Devices, services & contexts for play with children with disabilities

Name of Play Experience by AT

GoS (Game of Stimuli)

Type of project

Intervention
Finished research project
Ongoing research project

Summary

(~150 words: target group, aims, kind of activities, Play Experience by AT (devices, services and contexts) used, play experiences and results)

GoS (Game of Stimuli) is an interactive game-like interface specifically designed for children with autism. Its main objective is to investigate the sensorial skills of a person diagnosed with ASD and facilitate a better focus on a given activity and therefore ignoring irrelevant input which are distracting from the task, both in an individual and collaborative set-up. 
The system was designed and developed by the Robotics and Learning Technologies Lab, University of Siena in collaboration with Luca Giacolini of the Department of Industrial Design
Eindhoven University of Technology.

Play Experience by Assistive technology

Low-tech, high-tech products, services and contexts for play

Description, intended use(s), intended target group(s), manufacturer/developer, reference

The system is completely customizable in terms of hardware and software. The hardware consists of one core element, where most of the electronic components are located. Next to it, structure expands into a variable amount of modules which can be attached to the main element. Each module consists of a wood block with a pushing button on top of it. On the one hand the button can detect the pressure applied, while on the other one it can emit a light, by means of a RGB LED. The activities are supported with the use of a MIDI speaker, which produces positive reinforcement feedback at the appropriate time.

On the software side, the system allows the therapists for a custom set-up of the play activities, according to the needs of the children, varying from a cognitive play to a collaborative play.

GoS was designed to: 
• help children maintain the level of attention on the given activity;
• train children filter irrelevant input which is distracting during their given task;
• stimulate children to socially interact with both their therapists and within a peer-to-peer setup.
Through GoS the chlidren can play three different play scenarios: “Tactile Exploration”, “Stimuli Recognition” and “Cooperative Game”. Each scenario demanded a different level of engagement and interaction.

Currently the system is being tested at the “Piccolo Principe” association on autism in Siena, Italy.

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Context

The context of use

(home, school, rehab center or other environments)

GoS is being tested at the “Piccolo Principe” association on autism in Siena, Italy (Educational and Rehabilitation centre)

Type of Play

Type of play in this play system

LUDI Classification of types of play

Cognitive Dimension

Practice
Symbolic
Constructive
Rule play (including videogames)

Social Dimension

Solitary
Parallel
Associative
Cooperative

Objectives

Objectives related to play according to ICF-CY

International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health - Children & Youth Version (ICF-CY)

Participant

Participant(s)

Number

1-5
5-10
10-20
>20

Chronological Age

0-3 years
3-6 years
6-12 years
12-18 years

Development Age

0-3 years
3-6 years
6-12 years
12-18 years

Explanation

Explanation on the use of low-tech, high-tech devices, services or contexts

Involvement

Adult: therapist/educator/researcher
Parent or significant others
Peer with disabilities
Peer without disabilities

Role

Non-participatory observer
Participatory observer
Providing instruction
After the instruction, providing supervision during play

Evaluation

Evaluation of objectives and outcome measures

Description of outcome measure(s)

Observation by professional/researcher providing the play experience
Observation by other professional/researcher
Video analysis
Feedback from client/parents/professionals
(validated and reliable) outcome measures like tests, self-reports of client/system, questionnaires

Information about availability of outcome measure: publisher, website, contact person

Prof. Patrizia Marti, patrizia.marti@unisi.it
Iolanda Iacono, iolanda.iacono@unisi.it

http://www.roboticsandlearning.org/?post_type=portfolio&p=446

Achievements

Summary of achieved effects

Children demonstrated interest in the exploration of the buttons and the offered interaction possibilities, which at the beginning held almost all of their attention. The material properties of the buttons, their softness and flexibility afforded various types of manipulation additional to pressing. The buttons were caressed, squeezed, pinched. However, this explorative behaviour stopped when the exploration and the game activity were shared with another person.

The simplicity of the game associated with the modularity is definitively a winning aspect of the system. This design enabled us to generate a wide range of interactions and a significant amount of play scenarios. A modular hardware and an easy-to-hack software allowed for tailoring the system to the different children’s skills and therapeutic needs.

References

References to the intervention or research project

Contact Person

Prof. Patrizia Marti, patrizia.marti@unisi.it
Iolanda Iacono, iolanda.iacono@unisi.it

Website

http://www.roboticsandlearning.org/?post_type=portfolio&p=446

Publication

- Giacolini, L., Marti, P., Iacono, I. EGame of Stimuli: an Exploratory Tangible Interface Designed for Autism. Proceedings of the European Conference on Cognitive Ergonomics 2015, ISBN: 978-1-4503-3612-3 doi>10.1145/2788412.2788444

Keywords

Example: Robots, Virtual Games, Mobile Phone, Public Playground, Adapted Toys

Children,
Autism,
Stimuli,
Design case, 
Tangible Interaction, 
Interactive Game.

GoS (Game of Stimuli)

Summary

Play Experience by Assistive Technology for play

Devices, services & contexts for play with children with disabilities

Name of Play Experience by AT

Type of project

Summary

(~150 words: target group, aims, kind of activities, Play Experience by AT (devices, services and contexts) used, play experiences and results)

Play Experience by Assistive technology

Low-tech, high-tech products, services and contexts for play

Description, intended use(s), intended target group(s), manufacturer/developer, reference

Context

The context of use

(home, school, rehab center or other environments)

Type of Play

Type of play in this play system

LUDI Classification of types of play

Cognitive Dimension

Social Dimension

Objectives

Objectives related to play according to ICF-CY

Play for the sake of play

Major life areas - d880 engagement in play

Community social and civic life - d920 recreation and leisure time

Play-like activities

Therapeutic and educational objectives

Participant

Participant(s)

Number

Chronological Age

Development Age

LUDI Categories of disabilities

Explanation

Explanation on the use of low-tech, high-tech devices, services or contexts

Explanation

Involvement

Role

Evaluation

Evaluation of objectives and outcome measures

Description of outcome measure(s)

Information about availability of outcome measure: publisher, website, contact person

Achievements

Summary of achieved effects

References

References to the intervention or research project

Contact Person

Website

Publication

Keywords

Keywords