Development of a Mobile Application for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Board for Children with Cerebral Palsy and Communication Difficulties
Keywords:
Mobile Application, Communication Board, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Children with Cerebral Palsy, Assistive TechnologyAbstract
This study aims to develop a mobile application based Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) board to support the communication needs of children with cerebral palsy at a specialized school in Nonthaburi Province, Thailand. Guided by the Human Activity Assistive Technology (HAAT) Model, the application integrates multimedia elements including images, symbols, and audio to enhance communication efficiency and usability. Ten children with cerebral palsy and four experts participated in the study to evaluate real-world usability, using both the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (QUEST) and the System Usability Scale (SUS), alongside performance metrics. The application achieved a “moderately satisfied” user satisfaction level, with QUEST scores averaging 4.18 (out of 5) for equipment and 4.33 (out of 5) for services, and an SUS score of 80.5 (out of 100), indicating “good” usability. Performance assessments demonstrated low CPU usage (3.56%) and minimal power consumption (0.212 mAh), although memory usage (255 MB) may pose challenges for low-resource devices. Compared to traditional communication boards, the application offers portability and adaptability enhancement to user needs. This study underscores the potential of AAC technology to improve communication and quality of life for users, establishing a foundation for the future integration of advanced features such as artificial intelligence to expand usability across broader populations.
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