Broadening Accessibility Through Special Interests: A New Approach for Software Customization
Robert R. Morris, Connor R. Kirschbaum, Rosalind W. Picard · 2010 · Proceedings of the 12th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2010) · doi:10.1145/1878803.1878834
Summary
This paper from MIT Media Lab presents a software approach for automatically embedding the special interests of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) into computer-based interventions. People with ASD often have intense, narrow interests — ranging from specific cartoon characters to trains, maps, or weather — that can be highly motivating. Research has shown that incorporating these interests into educational and therapeutic activities increases task adherence and performance, but doing so manually is impractical for caregivers and educators. The authors developed an algorithm in Actionscript and PHP that retrieves images from Google Image Search based on a user-typed interest, strips the background from retrieved images using an edge-pixel detection method, and embeds the processed images seamlessly into Flash-based programs. The system was evaluated in two ways: a search-retrieval study testing 50 special interests drawn from ASD research literature, and a naturalistic user study with 11 students (9 with ASD, 2 with other developmental disorders) at the Groden Center in Providence, Rhode Island. Two games were created — "Find-It" (clicking hidden targets) and "Bounce" (platform jumping) — each available in customised versions featuring the participant's interest and generic non-customised versions.
Key findings
The search-retrieval study showed the algorithm retrieved appropriate images in an average of 2.4 seconds, with the first suitable image typically appearing at Google position 1.24 on average. About half of each image was removed as background material (mean 47.59%). Nine of the 50 interests tested required ".gif" appended to the query to find appropriate simple images. In the user study, nine of eleven participants chose to play a customised game during the free-play session, suggesting strong preference for personalised content. Participants were visibly excited to see their interests represented — for most, it was the first time their preferred interest appeared in a computer activity. One particularly striking case involved a participant who had never shown goal-directed computer behaviour despite prior experience, but became highly attentive and successful when his interest (Tacos) was embedded in the Find-It game. One participant who initially chose the generic version later engaged fully after the embedded interest was updated to match her same-day request, highlighting that interests can shift rapidly and customisation tools must be responsive. The two participants who chose non-customised versions were both at moderate/severe functioning levels, though the study could not conclusively determine why.
Relevance
This paper addresses a fundamental accessibility challenge: how to make software personally meaningful for users whose motivations and engagement patterns differ markedly from neurotypical expectations. The approach of leveraging special interests as a personalisation strategy has broad implications beyond ASD — any population that struggles with motivation or engagement in standard software interfaces could benefit from rapid, user-driven customisation. For accessibility practitioners, the key takeaway is that customisation should be easy enough for non-technical caregivers and flexible enough to accommodate interests that change day to day. The research also raises important considerations about using third-party image APIs and copyright when building customisation tools. While the specific Flash-based technology is now obsolete, the underlying design pattern of automated interest-based personalisation remains highly relevant.
Tags: autism spectrum disorder · special interests · software customization · personalization · computer-mediated intervention · developmental disabilities · motivation · game accessibility