Parents' attitudes towards using assistive technologies for children with ASD in Jordan

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Assistive Technology
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

Background:

• Assistive Technology (AT) offers potential benefits for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
• Understanding parental acceptance and attitudes is crucial for successful AT implementation.
• The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) provides a framework for evaluating technology adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate Jordanian parents' acceptance and attitudes towards AT for children with ASD.
• To identify factors influencing the adoption of AT among parents of children with ASD.
• To explore the role of social support and technology usage in AT acceptance.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 130 Jordanian parents of children with ASD.
• Utilized the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model.
• Employed regression analysis to examine relationships between variables.

Main Results:

• Moderate agreement was found for effort expectancy (68.7%), performance expectancy (58.7%), and attitudes toward technology (65%).
• Smartphones and iPads were the most commonly used technologies.
• A significant portion of parents (47.8%) reported low social support for AT use, citing awareness and financial issues.
• Technology usage and parental factors significantly predicted performance and effort expectancy, respectively.
• AT usage showed positive correlations with behavioral intention and actual use.

Conclusions:

• Parental acceptance of AT for children with ASD is moderate, influenced by expectancy beliefs and attitudes.
• Limited social support, awareness, and financial constraints pose challenges to AT adoption.
• Enhancing technology usage and social support networks can promote greater AT adoption for children with ASD.