Interactive Visual Schedule with Avatar Buddies for Activity Planning in Autistic Children

Autism spectrum disorder can greatly affect the well-being of autistic children and their family members. Visual aids, such as schedules, have been commonly used in this community for their benefits in multiple aspects. Utilizing digital technology, we presented the design of an interactive visual schedule system with avatar buddies for activity planning in autistic children. 12 pairs of participants were recruited, USE questionnaire and interviews were used for validation. The user study showed that the digital interactive system presented advantages in the perspective of usefulness, particularly in enhancing children's control over activity planning and assisting in activity completion, compared with traditional visual schedules. It demonstrated the feasibility of integrating digital technology into the field of health and highlighted the matching between the flexibility of digital technology and the personalized needs of special groups.