Exploring the Redesign of Inclusive AAC Technologies for Individuals with Down Syndrome and Mild Intellectual Disabilities
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic condition associated with cognitive, motor, and communication differences that can affect self-expression, social interaction, and independence. Although Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) technologies offer important support, many existing tools are not well aligned with the cognitive, communicative, and motor profiles of children with Down syndrome. In particular, current systems often provide limited multimodal support, insufficient developmental sensitivity, and weak support for dyadic communication with caregivers and other supportive adults. This thesis investigates how AAC technologies can be redesigned to better support communication, learning, and participation for children with Down syndrome. It addresses two research questions: first, how existing digital and AAC technologies support this population and what design gaps remain; and second, how a user-centred redesign, informed by caregiver perspectives, observational insights, and multimodal design principles, can enhance dyadic communication and participation. A mixed-methods, user-centred design approach was adopted. The research combined a systematic literature review, an online caregiver survey, an observational study, and iterative design and evaluation activities. Together, these methods identified current strengths and limitations in AAC provision, examined communication practices incontext, and informed the design of a tailored AAC application. The findings highlight several recurring issues in existing AAC technologies, including poor alignment with the visual strengths and motor challenges of children with Down syndrome, limited support for shared caregiver–child interaction, and insufficient integration of communication support with everyday routines. Caregiver and observational data also pointed to the importance of visual structure, multimodal interaction, familiarity, and simplicity in supporting communication and participation. These insights informed the development of BeeDiBot, a user-centred AAC application that integrates symbol-based communication, visual scheduling, and caregiver-linked interaction within a single system. BeeDiBot was developed as a design response to the gaps identified across the empirical studies and literature. Early evaluation and heuristic review provided preliminary feedback on usability and design strengths, while also identifying the need for further validation through larger-scale, longitudinal user testing. This thesis contributes an evidence-informed account of current AAC design gaps for children with Down syndrome, a user-centred design rationale for addressing those gaps, and a novel integrated AAC prototype that supports communication alongside routine-based and dyadic interaction. More broadly, this work contributes to inclusive Human–Computer Interaction by demonstrating how AAC design can be made more developmentally sensitive, context-aware, and responsive to the lived realities of children with Down syndrome and their supportive adults.
Source: Figshare
Author: Numera M. I. Shahid
Language: English
Subfield: Occupational Therapy
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7168131214