Community Led Co-Design of a Social Networking Platform with Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Area of Science:

• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience significant difficulties in developing and maintaining friendships.
• Existing social platforms may not adequately address the unique social and communication needs of individuals with ASD.
• Co-design methodologies offer a promising approach to developing user-centered technologies for specific populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a social networking platform tailored to the needs of adolescents with ASD.
• To explore the potential benefits of such a platform in enhancing social connections and self-advocacy for adolescents with ASD.
• To investigate the role of co-design in empowering adolescents with ASD as technology creators.

Main Methods:

• Seven co-design workshops were conducted over eight months with six adolescents diagnosed with ASD and their parents/carers.
• Iterative design process involving group discussions and visual communication methods (drawings) to gather user input.
• Qualitative analysis of participant interactions and feedback to identify key themes and benefits.

Main Results:

• Adolescents with ASD actively demonstrated self-advocacy skills throughout the iterative co-design process.
• A secure and familiar digital environment was found to significantly encourage participation from adolescents with ASD as co-designers.
• Parents, community groups, and peers were identified as crucial in engaging adolescents with ASD on the social networking platform.

Conclusions:

• Co-designing a social networking platform can empower adolescents with ASD, fostering self-advocacy and participation.
• Creating safe and supportive digital spaces is essential for the effective engagement of adolescents with ASD in social technology development.
• Collaborative efforts involving families, communities, and peers are vital for maximizing the social benefits of technology for adolescents with ASD.