A Preliminary Methodology to Evaluate the User Experience for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have significant challenges in the development of their communication and social skills. They tend to enjoy interactions with computers, as these interactions offer a safe and structured environment. Several studies have been dedicated to develop software systems and/or applications for people with ASD, trying to be as accessible and usable as possible. However, these studies do not present enough details on usability and User eXperience (UX) evaluation, nor empirical evidence in their research; therefore, we think it is necessary to formalize the process of UX evaluation, when working with people with ASD. We stablish a preliminary methodology to evaluate UX for people with ASD. This methodology proposes 3 sequential stages, a planning stage, an execution stage and a results analysis stage. The methodology facilitates the correct selection of participants, evaluators and methods, as well as the execution of these methods, and the processing of the results. It aims to obtain valuable UX insights that can help the to improve users’ skill learning, and thus their quality of life, through the use of technology.