Software mtea: From computer design to application by professionals with students with autism

Abstract

A viable way to systematize and customize the intervention in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) with students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may be through computational resources. Thus, the objective of this study was to prepare a digital environment called mTEA for application of behavioral teaching programs by discrete trial, based on the behavioral perspective, as well as to evaluate the use of mTEA, in relation to the elaboration and application of the activities conducted by two professionals with students with ASD. The participants were two professionals and five students with ASD. The procedure was organized as follows: development of the system; then, the two professionals elaborated and applied the activities with five students with ASD and answered a questionnaire about the use of mTEA. The results were analyzed in relation to the performance of students with ASD in the activities and to the use of the system by the professionals. The results identified that mTEA reached the objective to customize the activities in each student’s teaching curriculum, although it still lacks improvements to be implemented in the future.