Abstract:

The TESI mobile application is a versatile tool that can be used for various purposes and ways: learning the language; stimulating communication; mediating the expression of personal emotions, needs and desires; facilitating the understanding of the emotions, needs and desires of others (parents, friends, colleagues, teachers, etc.); the practice of speech; acquiring knowledge; developing individual autonomy in different areas: hygiene, food, play, public transport etc. .; developing social skills, and many others.

In regard to the children with communication difficulties, it has been demonstrated that early intervention speeds up the general development of the child, and the long run outcomes are among the best. Because of the diversity of the children with speaking impairments (different severity levels of autism, different levels of intellectual abilities, different personalities, the presence or the absence of further impairments – such as sensorial problems, epilepsy etc.) it is less likely that they would respond in the same way and make similar progresses undergoing a single type of intervention. Thus, several types of intervention will probably be needed to answer all the needs a child could have. A thorough understanding of the child is needed, of working techniques, a good and efficient case management.

From the literature, it turned out that using computer technology, such as m-learning tools, like this application, is a necessity and a priority for people in the target group, facilitating and streamlining the learning process for children with language and learning disabilities, facilitating the interaction between these children and their parents; between these children and their teachers, as well as the teaching of social knowledge and norms.

TESI application offers multiple advantages: the possibility to associate images with sound, the possibility to order images in logical sequences, and to personalize easily the content for each child by anyone (teacher, parent). It can be used and independently by same children. The availability of this software on a mobile device makes it easy to access and carry anywhere. It is easy to use and attractive for the children.

Acknowledgements:
This work is supported by the ERASMUS+ KA3 Project: Adaptive Personalized System for Creating Expression Tools in Social Inclusion of Learners with Verbal Communication Disabilities – TESI, No. 592177-EPP-1-2017-1-BG-EPPKA3-IPI-SOC-IN.

Keywords:

New software, communication disorder, social inclusion, research project.