Open Book: Simplifying Text for Autism

1. www.openbooktool.net www.first-asd.eu

2. Introducing Open Book • Atool for simplifying text • For people with autism who have difficulty with understanding regular text • Converts written information into a simpler format eg. English > simplified English eg. Spanish > simplified Spanish • Using computerised language technology, it aims to improve independence and social inclusion of people with autism • Developed by the FIRST Project - 9 organisations under a European Commission FP7 Programme funded 3-year cooperative research project • Available in English, Spanish & Bulgarian

3. Autism & reading comprehension difficulties • Intellectual abilities vary between individuals, from superior intelligence in some areas to profound intellectual disability • Language skills also vary between individuals (some people who have autism do not speak at all) • Yet, all people with autism experience some difficulties in: • Comprehending speech and writing • Interpreting figurative/non-literal language • Understanding complex instructions • Deriving the meaning or gist of written documents • More information about autism: www.autismeurope.org

4. How the tool works • The simplification process includes: • Replacement of: • long complex sentences > several short, simple sentences • informal expressions > regular language • Provision of definitions for words and expressions that are: • long / technical • ambiguous • non-literal (eg. metaphors) • related to emotions • Addition of: • images • links to more information on unfamiliar concepts

5. How the program works

6. User interface: Original text

7. User interface: Adapted text

8. User interface: Magnification tool

9. User interface: Explain word feature

10. User interface: Explain with picture feature

11. User interface: Sentence simplification

12. User interface: Sentence simplification

13. User preferences

14. User interface: Ask carer feature

15. Carer interface: Add a note to respond to question

16. Carer interface: Identifying obstacles to reading comprehension

17. Carer interface: Replace a word with a simpler one

18. Carer interface: Add an explanation for a word

19. Carer interface: Add a link to more information

20. Research & development process Testing & evaluation Designing system architecture & user interface Processing structural complexity of languages Processing ambiguity in meaning of words Generating personalised documents Identifying user requirements

21. Research & development process Involvement of people with autism • Involvement in all stages of software development • Direct & indirect involvement (people with autism, as well as their teachers, parents, carers, and professionals) • Planning – Information & advice from autism organisations • Testing – 300 people with autism directly involved in testing the software • Evaluation – 18 intermediaries (carers, social workers, psychologists& doctors) involved in evaluating the usefulness of the software for people with autism • Perceptions of inclusion will be evaluated via qualitative interviews and focus groups with a sample of the people with autism who participated in testing the software

22. Research & development process Identifying user requirements - General • Research during early phase of software development to define the needs of people with autism (in relation to accessing text documents) more clearly than any previous studies • Focus group discussions with sample group of people with autism

23. Research & development process Testing & evaluation • Testing with end users: People with autism • 300 participants (both adults & children) with ‘high-functioning’ autism • Adults - 100 in UK,Children (aged 12 & above) - 100 in Spain, 100 in Bulgaria • Must have IQ of 70 or above • Tests to confirm participants’ diagnosis of high functioning autism • Reading comprehension tests with documents on various topics (under exam conditions) • Participants read documents in original and simplified formats • Participants answer multiple choice tests about their understanding of the documents • Testing results will inform future development / versions of the software

24. Research & development process Testing & evaluation • Surveys for end users: Intermediaries • 18 participants (3 clinical centres x 6 participants) • Including carers, social workers & psychologists • Provided with training on how to use the software • Participants are asked to use the software to prepare 6 documents for people with autism • Afterwards, participants complete a survey to assess the useability of the software for people with autism • Survey results inform development of final software product

25. Research & development process User & carer feedback • ''I think it's increased my vocabulary, I think it's made me use more complex words'' – User, United Kingdom • ''Not only is she reading significantly more, she's not coming to me, asking ‘what does that mean?'”. – Carer, United Kingdom • ''I can see that he starts to communicate with other children. He goes to them and starts talking, and he never did that before.'' – Parent, Bulgaria

26. Project partners • University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom • Central & North West London NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom • Universidad de Alicante, Spain • Autism-Europe a.i.s.b.l., Europe • Universidad de Jaen, Spain • Parallel World Sdruzhenie, Bulgaria • Deletrea SL, Spain • iWeb Technologies Ltd, United Kingdom • Kodar OOD, Bulgaria

27. Acknowledgements The research leading to this software product has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7, 2007-2013), under grant agreement n° 287607.

28. Launch & updates Open Book Launch • Tomorrow morning, 11.40am (in the break) • at the Autism-Europe stand • (serving Belgian chocolates to guests!) More information: • Open Book: www.openbooktool.net • FIRST Project website: www.first-asd.eu • Join our mailing list: news@first-asd.eu • Contact us: contact@first-asd.eu