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A Gamified Framework to Assist Therapists with the ABA Therapy for Autism

Matteo Cordioli, Laura Delfino, Alessia Romani, Elisa Mortini, Pier Luca Lanzi

TL;DR

The paper addresses the challenge of paper-based ABA therapy for autism by introducing a gamified, digital framework co-developed with Spazio Autismo. The system comprises a tablet-based game for children, a backend data store, and a therapist web interface, all aligned with ABA guidelines to support session flow and progress reporting. In a four-month study with 18 children (4–7 years), the framework reduced non-therapeutic setup time, increased patient engagement in several VB-MAPP categories, and boosted the number of objectives completed, while enabling automatic sharing of progress with families. This work demonstrates the practicality and impact of digitizing ABA workflows, offering a pathway toward broader adoption, data-driven personalization, and potential home use, with plans to extend VB-MAPP coverage and data privacy protections.

Abstract

We present a framework to assist therapists and children with autism spectrum disorder in their Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy. The framework was designed in collaboration with Spazio Autismo, an autism center in Mantova, Italy. The framework is a first step toward transitioning from the current paper-based to fully digital-supported therapy. We evaluated the framework over four months with 18 children diagnosed with classic autism, ranging from 4 to 7 years old. The framework integrates a mobile app that children and therapists use during the sessions with a backend for managing therapy workflow and monitoring progress. Our preliminary results show that the framework can improve the efficacy of the therapy sessions, reducing non-therapeutic time, increasing patient focus, and quickening the completion of the assigned objectives. It can also support therapists in preparing learning materials, data acquisition, and reporting. Finally, the framework demonstrated improved privacy and security of patients' data while maintaining reliability.

A Gamified Framework to Assist Therapists with the ABA Therapy for Autism

TL;DR

The paper addresses the challenge of paper-based ABA therapy for autism by introducing a gamified, digital framework co-developed with Spazio Autismo. The system comprises a tablet-based game for children, a backend data store, and a therapist web interface, all aligned with ABA guidelines to support session flow and progress reporting. In a four-month study with 18 children (4–7 years), the framework reduced non-therapeutic setup time, increased patient engagement in several VB-MAPP categories, and boosted the number of objectives completed, while enabling automatic sharing of progress with families. This work demonstrates the practicality and impact of digitizing ABA workflows, offering a pathway toward broader adoption, data-driven personalization, and potential home use, with plans to extend VB-MAPP coverage and data privacy protections.

Abstract

We present a framework to assist therapists and children with autism spectrum disorder in their Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy. The framework was designed in collaboration with Spazio Autismo, an autism center in Mantova, Italy. The framework is a first step toward transitioning from the current paper-based to fully digital-supported therapy. We evaluated the framework over four months with 18 children diagnosed with classic autism, ranging from 4 to 7 years old. The framework integrates a mobile app that children and therapists use during the sessions with a backend for managing therapy workflow and monitoring progress. Our preliminary results show that the framework can improve the efficacy of the therapy sessions, reducing non-therapeutic time, increasing patient focus, and quickening the completion of the assigned objectives. It can also support therapists in preparing learning materials, data acquisition, and reporting. Finally, the framework demonstrated improved privacy and security of patients' data while maintaining reliability.
Paper Structure (16 sections, 1 equation, 4 figures)

This paper contains 16 sections, 1 equation, 4 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Autism and Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)
  3. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
  4. ABA Therapy Design
  5. Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP)
  6. Related Work
  7. The Framework
  8. Therapy Sessions
  9. Framework Design
  10. The Architecture
  11. Experimental Results
  12. Focus During Therapy
  13. Objectives Completion
  14. Analysis of Error Rates
  15. Time Spent on Non-Therapeutic Activities
  16. ...and 1 more sections

Figures (4)

  • Figure 1: Data flow diagram
  • Figure 2: Average time spent per session in each category; bars report the standard error of the mean.
  • Figure 3: Percentage of completed objectives per category.
  • Figure 5: Error rate of each patient in each category.