Experimental Veriﬁcation of Using Augmented Reality Technology for

Teaching Global Reading to Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum

Disorders

Tamila Kolomoiets

1 a

, Olena Bielikova

1 b

and Anna Kurienkova

1 c

Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University, 54 Gagarin Ave., Kryvyi Rih, 50086, Ukraine

Keywords:

Correctional Education, Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Preschoolers, Augmented Reality

Technology, Global Reading, Alternative Communication.

Abstract:

The article focuses on the use of augmented reality technology for visualizing educational information for

children with ASD during teaching global reading and systems of Augmentative and Alternative Communi-

cation (AAC). It is noted that while learning, children with ASD display such features as quick fatigue, low

concentration, constant distraction and difﬁculties in building communications. Based on the developed and

tested corrective- developmental methods, an algorithm for forming a technology for teaching global reading

to children with ASD was deﬁned. The main stages of such training were determined: 1) creation of “safe”

interaction for the child; 2) learning to select the inscriptions under the pictures (if the child pronounced the

name correctly, he was offered to “revive” the picture with the help of augmented reality technology); 3) se-

lection of words for objects (pictogram images), verbs (the cat begins to move – runs); 4) work with individual

handouts: compose sentences and read aloud; 5) use of PECS alternative communication (cards have inscrip-

tions) – children ﬁx visual image of the word; 6) using a mnemonic table in augmented reality for reading.

The stages of an empirical study of the effectiveness of teaching global reading to children with ASD using

augmented reality technology were deﬁned. An empirical research program was developed, which included

problem-search, diagnostic, empirical-synthesizing and interpretive-summary stages. For each stage, the main

achieved results were formulated and research methods were substantiated. The main technical possibilities of

using augmented reality technology in teaching global reading to children with ASD were characterized. The

results of diagnostics of children with ASD before and after the experiment were presented. Empirical data

were compared and a conclusion was drawn about the effectiveness of the proposed methodology for teaching

global reading to children with ASD.

1 INTRODUCTION

In the context of shaping the European-oriented

development of the educational space in Ukraine,

against the backdrop of the existing challenges in

teaching and nurturing children with mental develop-

mental disorders, the utilization of modern informa-

tion and communication technologies in pedagogical

activities gains signiﬁcant relevance. In Ukraine, as

well as globally, there is a gradual quantitative in-

crease in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

(ASD). According to international research, Ukraine

ranks 96th in terms of the prevalence of ASD world-

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7321-0901

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7074-5030

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9131-933X

wide (Wisevoter, 2023). Thus, Ukraine is home to

160,444 individuals with ASD, out of which 31,617

are children. The prevalence rate of childhood autism

is 463.9 per 100,000.

The increasing trend of ASD prevalence in

Ukraine and globally has prompted experts to search

for new methodologies and technologies for educat-

ing and developing this category of children.

Given the reform of the domestic education sys-

tem and the inclusion of children with ASD in the

mainstream educational framework, the acquisition

of communication skills and appropriate socialization

become even more pressing issues. It should be em-

phasized that the diagnostic criteria for Autism Spec-

trum Disorder include a triad of symptoms that mani-

fest by the age of three (Wetherby et al., 1998):

1) disorders in social interaction;

148

Kolomoiets, T., Bielikova, O. and Kurienkova, A.

Experimental Veriﬁcation of Using Augmented Reality Technology for Teaching Global Reading to Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

DOI: 10.5220/0012648200003737

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on History, Theory and Methodology of Learning (ICHTML 2023), pages 148-155

ISBN: 978-989-758-579-1; ISSN: 2976-0836

2) disorders in verbal/non-verbal communication;

3) repetitive, stereotyped, restricted behavior and ac-

tivities.

Consequently, the acquisition of communication

skills for children with ASD is among the most cru-

cial matters, as they not only encounter difﬁculties

in communication and language but also challenges

in understanding and utilizing non-verbal behavior in

communicative interactions.

It is worth noting that one of the means to develop

communication skills and enhance a child’s vocabu-

lary is through reading instruction. However, we un-

derstand that the process of reading is complicated for

children with ASD due to their limited language func-

tion. In our study, we will focus on the utilization of

augmented reality technology for visualizing educa-

tional information during global reading instruction

and for augmentative and alternative communication

(AAC) systems. Visualization of educational infor-

mation relies on visual memory and is well-suited for

children with ASD.

2 RELATED WORK

The issue of teaching children with autism spec-

trum disorders is being studied by many researchers,

including Ukrainian ones (Ostrovska et al., 2018;

Tarasun, 2022; Khvorova, 2011; Skrypnyk and Lo-

zova, 2020; Shulzhenko, 2009; Romanchuk, 2016;

Sinyov, 2007; Shevtsov, 2009).

In particular, Tarasun (2022) and Khvorova (2011)

were engaged in the study of issues related to the de-

velopment, education, and socialization of children

with autism. They developed contemporary medical-

psychological-pedagogical and neuropsychological

approaches to the study of Autism Spectrum Disor-

ders (ASD) and created authorial techniques for di-

agnosing the development peculiarities of children

with autism. They proposed a system for intensi-

fying the development correction of children with

ASD, including various approaches, a roadmap for

autologic assistance, and methods for correcting the

socio-emotional and communicative-language devel-

opment of children with ASD. Skrypnyk and Lozova

(2020) developed a methodology for the formation of

the communicative and language sphere of preschool

children, known as ‘Sensory Integration Ayres’ and

‘Sensory Diet,’ which are methods based on the ideas

of the regularities of development and active partici-

pation in life activities. Shulzhenko (2009) examines

the issues of psycholinguistic aspects of speech pe-

culiarities in children with autistic spectrum disorders

and proposes approaches to studying the genesis of

the speech phenomenon within the mental structure

of autistic children.

Based on foreign research (Bonora et al., 2019;

Light and McNaughton, 2012; Stone, 2004), it is pos-

sible to distinguish two categories of deviations of so-

cial and communicative development in children with

ASD, namely: the ability to divide attention, which

is associated with difﬁculties in coordinating atten-

tion between people and objects; and the ability to

use symbols, which is associated with the difﬁculties

of conventional symbolic meanings and affects acqui-

sition of speech, the use of gestures and game actions

(Stone, 2004).

In addition, the issue of implementation and veri-

ﬁcation of the effectiveness of modern AAC systems

becomes urgent. The international experience of re-

habilitation practice shows wide use of AAC tools

(reading books and communication boards, glyphs)

and their general applicability due to their high prac-

tical usefulness (Bonora et al., 2019). However, the

use of augmented reality for teaching global reading

to children with ASD is a unique development of its

kind, the ultimate goal of which is formation of chil-

dren’s oral speech.

The development and utilization of augmented

reality for teaching children with ASD, especially

global reading, is a unique innovation aimed at en-

hancing children’s oral communication skills. The

AR technology relies on the visual memory of chil-

dren with autistic spectrum disorders, which is well

understood by them due to the combination of graphic

word representation with a real object. The rationale

for employing augmented reality technology in teach-

ing ASD children global reading was substantiated in

our previous publication (Tarasun, 2022). The logi-

cal continuation of our work will entail highlighting

the practical results of the experimental research on

the application of AR technology in teaching global

reading to children with ASD.

Research objective: to experimentally assess the

effectiveness of augmented reality technology in

teaching global reading to preschoolers with ASD

through the use of augmented reality technology

and Alternative and Augmentative Communication

(AAC).

The article uses the methods of analysis, compari-

son, systematization, experiment, diagnostics accord-

ing to the CARS and PEP-R methods, the method of

mathematical data processing, data generalization and

interpretation.

Experimental Veriﬁcation of Using Augmented Reality Technology for Teaching Global Reading to Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum

Disorders

149

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The research has indicated that the issue of teaching

reading to children with ASD is fairly widespread and

challenging. This is attributed to the fact that chil-

dren with ASD tend to quickly tire, get distracted,

and exhibit a speciﬁc need for maintaining consis-

tency in their environment, following established rou-

tines, schedules, images, and drawings, among other

aspects. Hence, the utilization of visual information

or “visual support,” characterized by the clear presen-

tation of information, signiﬁcantly contributes to the

better assimilation of educational materials by chil-

dren with ASD.

The process of teaching global reading to chil-

dren with Autism Spectrum Disorder follows a cer-

tain sequence and stages, taking into consideration the

degree of expression of autistic disharmony. In our

study, the staged approach consisted of the following

components (Kolomoiets and Kassim, 2018):

1) establishing a “safe” interaction environment for

the child;

2) teaching the child to match labels with pictures

(if the child correctly pronounced the name, we

offered to “animate” the picture using augmented

reality technology);

3) associating verbs (e.g., the cat begins to move –

it runs) with the subject items (pictograms to pic-

tures);

4) working with individual booklets: forming sen-

tences and reading aloud;

5) employing augmentative and alternative commu-

nication (AAC) using PECS (picture exchange

communication system) cards – children reinforce

the visual image of the word;

6) utilizing mnemonic tables in augmented reality

for reading.

It’s important to note that adhering to such an al-

gorithm in the teaching process will contribute to the

development of language skills in children.

The use of augmented reality (AR) tools in work-

ing with children presents speciﬁc features (Sy-

rovatskyi et al., 2018):

1) formation of a new understanding of educational

material based on cognitive and emotional experi-

ences – ensuring emotional and cognitive engage-

ment;

2) the potential to enhance the realism of the studied

material through “living” images;

3) introducing new ways of presenting real learning

objects.

In the modern educational environment, three

main categories of augmented reality educational sys-

tems are identiﬁed: “visualization of 3D images for

visualizing educational material; recognition and la-

beling of real objects oriented in space; interaction be-

tween a computer-generated virtual object (or smart-

phone) and a person in real-time mode” (Tsyrulnyk,

2019).

Among the key characteristics of augmented real-

ity are the following (Syrovatskyi et al., 2018):

• combining real-world objects with computer-

generated data;

• enhancing real-world objects with computer-

generated sensory data (sound, video, graphics,

position);

• creating a semantic context that merges physical

and digital spaces, where objects of association

are located in the real world;

• simpliﬁed display of virtual objects compared to

virtual reality;

• controlled interaction with the learning object for

exploring its features.

It’s worth noting that the contemporary social and

educational environment, both general and special-

ized, is infused with tools that facilitate the integra-

tion and application of augmented reality. Given the

comprehensive development of this approach in the

modern world, we have decided to test the effective-

ness of using AR in working with children with ASD.

Based on the aforementioned stages in teaching

children with ASD global reading and incorporating

augmented reality elements into this process, we con-

ducted practical research on the outlined issue. Our

study was based at the “Kryvyi Rih Special Multi-

proﬁle Educational and Rehabilitation Center No. 1”

under the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council.

Our research was divided into four main stages.

The ﬁrst, the problem- search stage, involved deﬁning

the goal, developing an empirical research program,

justifying the relevance of the proposed technology in

special education. We selected methods (experiment,

descriptive and comparative methods of analysis, gen-

eralization, logical method), as well as augmented re-

ality tools. An experimental methodology and its tar-

geted model were created.

The empirical research program on the effective-

ness of augmented reality technology in teaching

global reading to children with ASD is presented in

table 1.

The second – diagnostic – stage was aimed at

processing documents (medical reports, conclusions

of psychoneurological institutions, psychological and

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150

Table 1: Program of empirical study on the effectiveness of augmented reality technology in teaching global reading to

children with ASD.

Experiment

program (stages)

The main tasks achieved Methods of research and work

Problem-search

stage

The goal was deﬁned, the expediency of us-

ing augmented reality technology in special

education was substantiated, methods and

tools of work were chosen, an experimental

methodology and its target model were cre-

ated

Experiment, descriptive and comparative

methods of analysis, generalization, logical

method

Diagnostic

stage

The use of a complex of psychodiagnos-

tic methods before the start of experimental

work

CARS scale, PEP-R developmental scale

proﬁle. Speech examination

Empirical-

synthesizing

stage

1. Development of visual perception, forma-

tion of the ability to analyze, distinguish and

generalize, orient oneself in space

Methods and techniques are aimed at form-

ing simultaneous syntheses of a clear internal

schematization of experience

2. Work aimed at understanding words and

correlating them with images

Synthesis of individual elements into consec-

utive series (Tarasun, 2022)

3. Performance of visual movements,

vestibular projections, formation of optical

and kinesthetic sensations, development

of sensorimotor abilities and successive

structures at the cognitive level

Visual systems: Picture Exchange Commu-

nication Symbols (PECS), Picture Commu-

nication Symbols (PCS), platform Blippar,

methods of teaching global reading

4. Development of expressive, narrative, ﬂu-

ent reading

Pictograms of I. Koroliova, L. Nuriieva

5. Vocabulary formation: antonyms,

paronyms, synonyms

The child selects a card with the appropriate

image and correlates it with the word on the

card

Interpretive-

summary stage

The use of a complex of psychodiagnostic

techniques after the experimental work.

Statistical processing of empirical data.

Description and interpretation of the results

before and after the implementation of the ex-

perimental teaching method.

Formulation of research conclusions and re-

sults.

Outlining prospects for further research in

this context

Method of mathematical data processing.

Methods of empirical data interpretation.

PEP-R Developmental Scale Proﬁle

pedagogical characteristics, psycho-corrective pro-

grams), and application of CARS scales for evaluat-

ing children’s autism manifestations, the proﬁle of the

PEP-R development scale before the start of training.

The parameters of the diagnostic toolkit included

the speciﬁcity of the scales, reliability, validity, stan-

dardization of methods for displaying personal char-

acteristics. The Psychoeducational proﬁle revised

(PEP-R) is a set of skills and behaviors that serve as

a diagnostic toolkit for determining a child’s charac-

teristic ways of learning. The test is designed to as-

sess the development of children with autism and chil-

dren with developmental disorders, it is designed for

preschool age (from 6 months to 7 years). The mate-

rials for the test include the study of imitation skills,

perception, ﬁne and gross motor skills, visual-motor

coordination, cognitive activity, communication and

active speech.

Note that 21 children aged 3 to 7 years old took

part in the diagnostics. The initial distribution of chil-

dren according to gender and age characteristics is

presented in table 2.

Table 2: Distribution of respondents according to gender

and age characteristics.

Gender

Age

3-4 years 5-7 years Total

Male 9 5 14

Female 4 3 7

Total 13 8 21

Experimental Veriﬁcation of Using Augmented Reality Technology for Teaching Global Reading to Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum

Disorders

151

The PEP-R scale elements are divided into seven

areas of development: imitation; perception; ﬁne

motor skills; gross motor skills; eye-motor coor-

dination; cognitive activity; communication, active

speech. Within our study, we were most interested in

the results on the last scale. The results of the initial

check are presented in ﬁgure 1.

Thus, the initial data according to the PEP-R de-

velopmental scale indicate age-inappropriate speech

in a signiﬁcant number of preschool children with

ASD – 76.19%. In addition, 23.81% of respondents

have no speech at all. The obtained data indicate the

need for the development and correction of speech in

children with ASD.

The next method we chose was the “Childhood

Autism Rating Scale” (CARS), which was used to

diagnose a child’s non-standard behavior: assess-

ment of the size of the problem (conformance to

the norms of behavior – “appropriate”, “moderately

appropriate”, “largely non-compliant”. The scale

consists of 15 items: “Relationships with people”,

“Body control”, “Imitation”, “Emotional reaction”,

“Using objects”, “Adaptation to changes”, “Visual

reaction”, “Aural reaction”, “Taste, smell, reaction

to touch”, “Shyness or nervousness”, “Verbal com-

munication”, “Non-verbal communication”, “Activ-

ity level”, “Level and degree of intellectual devel-

opment”, “General impression”. It allows to diag-

nose children with autism, distinguish them from

children with developmental disorders, but without

autism syndrome.

Using the speciﬁed diagnostic methods, we re-

ceived information about a group of tools that im-

prove the ability of children with ASD to understand

and interpret information. Based on the results of psy-

chological diagnostics of children (who participated

in the experimental work) using the speciﬁed meth-

ods, the following results were obtained: the age in-

dicators of children’s development relative to the nor-

mal population in 21 children with ASD (80%) de-

creased by an average of 1-3 years. The study of

the level of verbal and non-verbal communication is

shown in ﬁgure 2.

Having analyzed the obtained data, note that 13%

of children have severe deviations in verbal commu-

nication. They do not use meaningful language. In-

stead, they utter squeaks, strange sounds, close to hu-

man speech. Moderate deviations in verbal communi-

cation were observed in 46%. Such children generally

lack language. When present, verbal communication

is mixed with meaningful or strange language, slight

echolalia. A peculiarity in meaningful language is the

inclusion of unnecessary questions and interest in cer-

tain topics. 41% of children show minor deviations in

verbal communication. Language in children is gen-

erally formed with a delay. Most parts of the speech

are understood, while there is a slight echolalia, incor-

rect agreement of nouns with numerals, use of cases

and pronouns. Sometimes some strange words are

used.

According to the results of the study of the level

of non-verbal communication, the following results

were obtained: 6% have signiﬁcant violations in non-

verbal communication – the child only uses strange

gestures that have no obvious meaning and does not

understand the meaning of other people’s gestures and

facial expressions. A signiﬁcant group of children,

60%, showed moderate deviations in the use of non-

verbal communication. Children in general can ex-

press their needs and desires non-verbally, but cannot

understand the non-verbal appeal of others. Adults

are often used as a tool to achieve the desired goal.

34% of children have minor deviations in non-verbal

communication. Children demonstrate immature use

of non-verbal communication; can only show vaguely

or reach for what the child wants, in a situation where

a child of the same age normally shows and explains

with gestures what exactly he wants.

None of the children knew global reading. It

should be noted that 32% of respondents demon-

strated knowledge of the letters of the Ukrainian and

English languages. Children recognized them in pic-

tures, cubes, laid them out in a certain (at their own

discretion) sequence.

At the third – empirical-synthesizing – stage,

there was an experimental veriﬁcation of the effec-

tiveness of the developed methodology of using aug-

mented reality for teaching global reading to children

with ASD. The technologies of augmented reality that

we used in our research are described in our previous

publication (Syrovatskyi et al., 2018). The same re-

spondents took part at this stage as at the previous

one.

Teaching global reading to children with Autism

Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was carried out individ-

ually, and augmented reality was created using the

Blippar platform. For the initial stage of global read-

ing instruction, the child was presented with the task

of recognizing an object, matching it with an image

on the picture, and naming it. Afterward, a printed

word denoting the object appeared on the screen,

which the child had to read and memorize (Task 1).

In the subsequent stage, after mastering the reading of

nouns, verbs, and adjectives, children were presented

with a set of tasks involving reading simple phrases

(Task 2) and simple sentences. Examples of tasks for

teaching global reading to children with ASD using

augmented reality are shown in ﬁgures 3 and 4.

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Table 2. Distribution of respondents according to gender and age

characteristics

Age

Gender

3-4 years 5-7 years Total

Male

Female

Total

The PEP-R scale elements are divided into seven areas of development:

imitation; perception; fine motor skills; gross motor skills; eye-motor

coordination; cognitive activity; communication, active speech. Within our

study, we were most interested in the results on the last scale. The results of the

initial check are presented in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Results of the study of children with ASD according to PEP-R

scale

Thus, the initial data according to the PEP-R developmental scale indicate

age-inappropriate speech in a significant number of preschool children with

ASD – 76.19 %. In addition, 23.81 % of respondents have no speech at all. The

obtained data indicate the need for the development and correction of speech in

children with ASD.

The next method we chose was the “Childhood Autism Rating Scale”

(CARS), which was used to diagnose a child’s non-standard behavior:

assessment of the size of the problem (conformance to the norms of behavior –

“appropriate”, “moderately appropriate”, “largely non-compliant”. The scale

consists of 15 items: “Relationships with people”, “Body control”, “Imitation”,

“Emotional reaction”, “Using objects”, “Adaptation to changes”, “Visual

reaction”, “Aural reaction”, “Taste, smell, reaction to touch”, “Shyness or

23,81%

76,19%

Speechless children

Speech is not age appropriate

Figure 1: Results of the study of children with ASD according to PEP-R scale.

60%

34%

Nonverbal Communication

Severe deviations Moderate deviations

Minor deviations

13%

46%

41%

Verbal Communication

Severe deviations Moderate deviations

Minor deviates

nervousness”, “Verbal communication”, “Non-verbal communication”,

“Activity level”, “Level and degree of intellectual development”, “General

impression”. It allows to diagnose children with autism, distinguish them from

children with developmental disorders, but without autism syndrome.

Using the specified diagnostic methods, we received information about a

group of tools that improve the ability of children with ASD to understand and

interpret information. Based on the results of psychological diagnostics of

children (who participated in the experimental work) using the specified

methods, the following results were obtained: the age indicators of children’s

development relative to the normal population in 21 children with ASD (80 %)

decreased by an average of 1-3 years. The study of the level of verbal and non-

verbal communication is shown in Fig.2.

Fig. 2. Results of the examination of children with ASD using the

CARS method

Having analyzed the obtained data, note that 13 % of children have severe

deviations in verbal communication. They do not use meaningful language.

Instead, they utter squeaks, strange sounds, close to human speech. Moderate

deviations in verbal communication were observed in 46 %. Such children

generally lack language. When present, verbal communication is mixed with

meaningful or strange language, slight echolalia. A peculiarity in meaningful

language is the inclusion of unnecessary questions and interest in certain topics.

41 % of children show minor deviations in verbal communication. Language in

children is generally formed with a delay. Most parts of the speech are

Figure 2: Results of the examination of children with ASD using the CARS method.

Fig. 4. Screen capture for Task 1 Fig.5. Screen capture for Task 2

Note that a particularly significant result was obtained through the use of

augmented reality technology. It should be noted that this technology

“combines real and virtual elements with the real world: virtual objects are

added to the user’s real environment that change as a result of his actions” [13].

Regarding the application of augmented reality in teaching global reading to

children with ASD, we note that the picture began to move, acquire color,

volume in the case when the child correctly pronounced the name selected for

the picture. It was this tool that stimulated children to work, and formed in

them a persistent interest in verbal interaction with technology and the teacher.

We note that formation of a stable interest in working with digital technology

can positively affect the further development, integration and future

independent life of children with ASD. After all, it will provide opportunities

for obtaining a profession and financial independence.

The fourth – interpretative-summary – stage, included diagnostics,

analysis and interpretation of the obtained data, summarization of the research

results and drawing conclusions.

Thus, the last stage of the work involved re-diagnostics using the methods

defined during the second stage of the study. The corresponding dynamics of

changes in the state of active speech of children with ASD due to the

implementation of appropriate corrective and developmental measures, which

lasted 4 years (during 2019-2022) are shown in the table 3.

Figure 3: Screen capture for Task 1.

Note that a particularly signiﬁcant result was ob-

tained through the use of augmented reality technol-

ogy. It should be noted that this technology “com-

bines real and virtual elements with the real world:

virtual objects are added to the user’s real environ-

ment that change as a result of his actions” (Sy-

rovatskyi et al., 2018). Regarding the application of