Evaluating the Value of a Cloud-Based Approach to Autistic Interventions

DISSERTATION PROPOSAL INTERIM REPORT 1
Dissertation Proposal Interim Report: Evaluating the Value of a Cloud-Based Approach to
Autistic Interventions
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DISSERTATION PROPOSAL INTERIM REPORT 2
Dissertation Proposal Interim Report: Evaluating the Value of a Cloud-Based Approach to
Autistic Interventions
Introduction
The recent years have seen the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) increase
at unprecedented rates. So far, the developmental condition is listed among the major cases of
mental disorders in various parts of the worlds including the UK, US, and India. Note that the
incidence rates in the mentioned regions are 1 in 64, 1 in 68, and 1 in 150 respectively
(Kuriakose & Lahiri 2017). Such a realization is quite devastating considering the detrimental
impact of the condition on the victim’s social life. The implications are felt by not only the
autistic individuals but also their direct guardians (mainly parents). At this point, the reader is
urged to consider the established facts regarding autism. The lifelong condition is usually
evidenced in children under the age of 3, and it curtails their ability to communicate normally,
form social relationships, and engage in normal behavior. While this disorder is barely
understood from a causal perspective, most researchers and practitioners argue that it results
from defects in the brain regions dealing with memory retention, motor skills, and empathy.
Fortunately, the escalation in the prevalence rates is concurrent with the digital
revolution. The modern world is characterized by sophisticated levels of Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) advancements that appear instrumental in the alleviation of
most of the communication and socialization challenges faced by autistic children. As far as
autism is concerned, major strides have been made in the fields of Information Technology and
robotics (Teevan, Dumais, & Horvitz 2017). A broad range of computer, smartphone, and
artificial intelligence (merged with robotics) software have been developed to help this

DISSERTATION PROPOSAL INTERIM REPORT 3
population cope with their communication and socialization needs (Golestan, Soleiman, &
Moradi 2017). The applications have been tailored to meet the special learning capabilities of
autistic children. Nevertheless, there is too much fragmentation in the emergent interventions on
the same. For this reason, this dissertation project proposes a cloud-based approach so as to
allow the patients to access a broad range of learning interventions on a broad project: consider
the scope of the World-Wide Web.
Problem Statement
By now, it is apparent that different interventions have emerged in attempt to improve the
lives of people suffering from autism. Some of the common applications include Pocket PC
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), Let’s Talk Voice Output Communications
Aid (VOCA), dmTEA, and AUTHIC. Note that the first two focus on developing the children’s
communication skills (Shminan, Sharif, Adzani, & Lee 2017). dmTEA is a diagnosis tool while
AUTHIC improves the patient’s emotional capabilities. It suffices to restate that the mentioned
applications are among the various interventions implemented for autistic individuals. Such a
trend demonstrates the problematic state of the current progress with respect to the disorder.
Logically speaking, it is almost impossible for a single autistic child to benefit from such a
fragmented approach. Such a bold sentiment follows the fact that one cannot access all of the
applications regardless of the fact that they focus on different aspects of ASD. Perhaps, a cloud-
based approach can solve this problem by enhancing the accessibility of the distinct functions –
includes digital library, virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AR) – on a single
platform(s).
Literature Review