Assistive Learning for Children with Autism Using Augmented Reality

Abstract

Innovative computer aided solutions can serve as effective teaching-learning as-well-as assistive aids for children with autism and mild mental retardation. Teaching children with the help of day-to-day real time objects in the environment, by adding parent's voice/narration, associating virtual 3D images and rendering them on mobiles, would enhance the learning process. Augmented Reality (AR) is proving to be a useful technology to achieve this kind of teaching objectives. The implementation presented here, supports creation of teaching content using features of inbuilt camera and speaker of any basic Android device. This application helps in capturing and associating the pictures of surrounding objects like child's photos, videos etc., with AR content and aids in rendering them on to the screens using QR Codes (Quick Response Codes). Using this mobile application, parents/teachers can make paperless, personalized AR lessons on-the-fly. Application supports Functional Reading, Visual Schedulers and Speaking Albums for the children, to learn from real life scenarios.