Peer-reviewed article
Effect of a Mobile App Based Intervention on Digital Competence among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Bridging the Gap in Information Literacy and Digital Safety
Moomin Ahmad Rather, Deepa Sikand Kauts ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view ·Key points
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Abstract
The current study investigated the efficacy of the GrowAble mobile app-based intervention in improving digital competence in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), with a focus on information and data literacy and safety. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design was used with 60 children aged 5 to 12 years from Amritsar district, Punjab, India. The experimental group included 30 children with ASD who received the GrowAble mobile app-based intervention, while the control group consisted of 30 typically developing children who served as a developmental reference group for the comparative analysis. Data were gathered using a researcher-created Digital Competence Scale and analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U test. The results showed significant differences between the groups at the pre-test stage, indicating that children with ASD have lower levels of digital competence. However, no significant differences were found at the post-test stage, indicating significant improvement after the intervention. The study concludes that structured and developmentally appropriate mobile app-based interventions can effectively support digital competence development among children with ASD while also encouraging meaningful participation in digital learning environments. Implications, limitations, and future directions were discussed.