Interactive AR Applications for Nonspeaking Autistic People? - A Usability Study

About one-third of autistic people are nonspeaking, and most are never provided access to an effective alternative to speech. Thoughtfully designed AR applications could provide members of this population with structured learning opportunities, including training on skills that underlie alternative forms of communication. A fundamental step toward creating such opportunities, however, is to investigate nonspeaking autistic people’s ability to tolerate a head-mounted AR device and to interact with virtual objects. We present the first study to examine the usability of an interactive AR-based application by this population. We recruited 17 nonspeaking autistic subjects to play a HoloLens 2 game we developed that involved holographic animations and buttons. Almost all subjects tolerated the device long enough to begin the game, and most completed increasingly challenging tasks that involved pressing holographic buttons. Based on the results, we discuss best practice design and process recommendations. Our findings contradict prevailing assumptions about nonspeaking autistic people and thus open up exciting possibilities for AR-based solutions for this understudied and underserved population.