Digital content as a supporting tool in the learning of numeracy among children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Rwanda: A Thematic content analysis study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Teaching children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is difficult in an inclusive classroom since every person on the autism spectrum is unique and their needs are reflected differently. The development of the needs-based strategies which respond to the individual need in the classroom is a major challenge. However, the integration of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in the education system brought the opportunity to support the inclusion of children with ASD. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to analyse and integrate online content into the Rwandan education system to support learning mathematics of children with ASD in inclusive schools. METHODS A focus group study with discussions, analyzed with thematic content analysis was conducted from April to November 2019. The researcher conducted seven focus group discussions (FGDs) with 56 teachers from seven schools and 14 parents. Each of the FGDs took approximately one hour. The interview questions grouped into two categories: (1) General knowledge about teaching children with ASD and (2) Analysis of selected online video content of early math counting numbers. The video was used to understand current methodologies used in teaching children with ASD, possibilities of adaptation of the content in the current teaching environment, future challenges when the content is adapted and possible solutions to overcome those challenges. All data including audio recordings, field notes, and participants' comments were transcribed, recorded, and analyzed by following the steps recommended in qualitative data analysis. RESULTS From a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts captured during seven focus group discussions, the following themes where identified: (1) Awareness of the existence of ASD among children in schools and community, (2) Acceptability of children with ASD in an inclusive classroom, and in community (3) Methods and models used when teaching children with ASD, (4) Material realities used to improve the learning of children with ASD, (5) the design of educational digital content, (6) Accessibility online educational content, (7) Quality of the content of the educational multimedia, (8) Opportunity of using the translated and recreated content, in and outside the class (9) The relevance of the digital content in the Rwandan education system and (10) Enhancement of the accessibility and quality of the content. We found that participants assumed that the translation, gamification, and recreation of the content would help teach children with ASD. Moreover, they recommended the contextualization of the content, increase the access to digital devices and further research in education of different subjects. CONCLUSIONS Although many studies have identified the possibilities to use ICT in support of the education of children with ASD, few studies are done to recreation, gamification, integration, and development of ICT enabled technologies for the education of children with ASD. The integration of systems designed by global experts and translated into local contexts can bring innovation in teaching children with disabilities. This study is charting new territory in the investigation of online content to meet the real context of schools where children are studying. Further exploration of possible methodologies such as Applied Behavior Analysis or Verbal Behavior and the development of contextualized technologies that respond to the educational needs of children with ASD are recommended.