Effectiveness of Using Mobile Technology to Improve Cognitive and Social Skills Among Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Background: Mobile technology has become a necessity in the lives of people in many countries. Its characteristics and advantages also make it a potential medium of intervention for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Objective: The objective of this review was to evaluate previous evidence, obtained in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), on the effectiveness of using mobile devices as the medium of intervention targeting social and cognitive skills among individuals with ASD.

Methods: Literature search was conducted on electronic databases including Medline, PsycInfo, PsycArticles, Education Resources Information Centre, and Social Science Citation Index. Only RCTs published in English and after year 2000 were included for this review. Data extraction was carried out by 2 independent reviewers using constant comparative methods.

Results: Totally 10 RCTs were identified. Most of the findings indicated that mobile devices could be an effective medium of intervention for people with ASD, among which 6 indicated significant intervention effects and 2 showed mixed findings. Effective intervention was more likely to be achieved in the studies that recruited older participants (aged over 9 years), targeting practical skills that could be readily applied in real life, or using pictures or materials that were highly relevant in daily life in the apps or mobile devices. Furthermore, the use of mobile devices was also reported to promote participation in the intervention among individuals with ASD.

Conclusions: The results suggested that mobile devices could be a promising means for the delivery of interventions targeting people with ASD. Although including a small number of studies was a limitation of this review, the results provided useful implications for designing effective mobile technology–assisted interventions for the ASD population in future studies.