Publications

Interactive 3D games and WebXR environments are typically framed as entertainment, yet they also constitute structured, naturalistic settings in which behavior can be observed and measured. This workshop explores how such environments can be designed as tools for assessment and intervention in autistic and other neurodiverse users, moving beyond passive observation toward the systematic quantification of behavior during gameplay. It examines how multimodal gameplay data can characterize attention, engagement, decision-making, and interaction, drawing on signals such as gaze, movement, navigation, object interaction, response timing, task choices, collaboration, and performance. The workshop also considers how behavioral analytics and AI can help translate these signals into interpretable behavioral indicators and potential digital biomarkers. These measures are intended to complement, rather than replace, clinician- and caregiver-reported assessments, and the workshop emphasizes the importance of avoiding deficit-based interpretations. This 90-minute hybrid session features an invited keynote, a showcase of A-Sense projects, research and industry talks, and a structured discussion, and aims to create a community roadmap and foster future collaboration.

Background. Planning deficits are a common and functionally significant executive function difficulty in children with autism, affecting everyday activities such as organizing tasks, prioritizing goals, and monitoring progress. Traditional neuropsychological assessments often lack ecological validity and may not capture these skills in real-world contexts. Serious games offer promising alternatives by simulating everyday scenarios and enabling observation of planning behaviors during interactive tasks. However, most existing systems focus on training rather than theory-driven assessment, and are rarely evaluated for usability before deployment with children with autism.

Objective. This study aimed to design and evaluate ShopAutiPlan, a supermarket-based serious game intended to assess executive planning skills in children with ASD by conducting a formative expert evaluation before its use in clinical or research settings. The evaluation sought to identify usability strengths and limitations, ensuring that the system aligns with planning theory and accommodates the unique needs of autistic users.

Methods. A theory-driven design approach grounded in the Hayes-Roth cognitive model of planning was used to map planning subcomponents—including goal formulation, strategy generation, sequencing, execution, and monitoring—to in-game tasks and logged behavioral metrics. A cross-sectional, formative expert-based usability evaluation was conducted using inspection and think-aloud protocols. Six domain experts (2 psychologists, 2 human-computer interaction researchers, and 2 game developers) participated in individual evaluation sessions. Usability assessment was guided by ASD-specific usability heuristics, and experts completed the System Usability Scale (SUS). SUS scores were summarized using descriptive statistics, and qualitative feedback was analyzed through deductive coding mapped to heuristic categories.

Results. Across experts, 45 usability issues were identified, spanning cognitive accessibility, feedback clarity, realism, and technical performance. Severity ratings varied according to disciplinary perspectives: psychologists highlighted cognitive load, sensory accessibility, and task clarity, whereas developers focused on system responsiveness, interaction consistency, and technical reliability. The overall SUS score (mean 70.4, 95% CI 45.2‐95.7) exceeded the standard benchmark of 68, supporting the acceptability of the system and complementing the qualitative findings from the heuristic evaluation. Recommendations from the evaluation informed iterative refinements to interface design, interaction flow, and task representation to enhance alignment between planning constructs and user experience.

Conclusions. To the best of our knowledge, this study introduces the first shopping-based serious game specifically designed to assess executive planning skills in children with autism. Unlike many existing autism-related serious games that primarily focus on intervention or training, ShopAutiPlan adopts a theory-driven assessment-oriented design grounded in a cognitive model of planning and supported by gameplay-based behavioral measures. By integrating cognitive theory, serious game design, and interdisciplinary usability evaluation, the study proposes a structured framework for developing ecologically valid digital assessment tools that may complement conventional neuropsychological approaches in autism research and clinical practice.

Play holds a prominent role in Autism Research and practice, serving not only as a medium for assessment, providing insights into developmental progress and diagnostic indicators, but also as a foundational element in targeted interventions designed to support specific skills, education, and therapeutic outcomes. Additionally, free, unstructured play offers autistic children vital opportunities for self‐expression, exploration, and emotional regulation. Recent advancements in computer vision techniques have significantly expanded the possibilities in Autism Research by capturing nuanced motor behaviors and facilitating interactive environments tailored to enhance social engagement and responsiveness. This paper investigates the application of computer vision techniques within diverse play contexts involving autistic children. A systematic literature review was conducted across six major databases, identifying 39 studies published between January 2014 and January 2026 that met the inclusion criteria. The collected data included the type of computer vision techniques used, participant demographics, and purpose of play and its environment. Most of the included studies used structured play scenarios, employing methods such as facial expression recognition, eye tracking, and pose estimation to objectively assess social communication, emotion recognition, and motor coordination in autistic children. Some studies positioned their approach as targeted interventions, while others utilized play‐based tasks for early screening and diagnostic insights. The findings highlight the usefulness of computer vision in enhancing child‐centered play and autism‐related assessments. However, small sample sizes, methodological inconsistencies, and limited real‐world applicability remain significant constraints. Future research should focus on inclusive designs, larger and more diverse participant samples, and longitudinal studies to validate the long‐term effectiveness of these systems. By addressing these limitations, computer vision–enhanced play could become a crucial component of both personalized interventions and diagnostic frameworks for autistic individuals.

Introduction. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes an integral part of modern education, understanding the perspectives of healthcare students on AI is vital for their adaptation and future success. This study investigates the attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge toward AI among dental hygiene students and alumni, as well as their educational needs related to AI integration.

Methods. A cross-sectional survey used a validated instrument adapted from existing literature. The survey was distributed to dental hygiene students and alumni at the University of Doha for Science and Technology. The Attitude Toward AI (ATAI) Scale was used to assess AI acceptance and fear. Participants’ perceptions of AI in health education and their educational priorities for the health curriculum were also explored. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were employed to evaluate participant responses and identify predictors of AI acceptance.

Results. A total of 101 participants responded (84.87% response rate). The majority of participants reported only basic AI knowledge (77.2%), and a substantial portion (68.3%) had not received formal AI training. Using the Attitude Toward AI (ATAI) Scale, this study found moderate AI acceptance (6.56 ± 1.90) and neutral-to-slight fear (4.85 ± 2.26). AI perception in health education suggests that while participants recognize the potential benefits of AI in health education, some remain neutral or uncertain about its practical implications (2.38 ± 1.33). AI for health-related research was rated as the highest priority for inclusion in health curricula (93.07%). Regression analysis revealed that perceptions of AI in health education significantly predicted AI acceptance ( p = 0.0073, β = 0.676).

Conclusion. This study found that dental hygiene students and alumni demonstrated moderate acceptance of artificial intelligence, low-to-basic AI knowledge, and substantial gaps in formal AI training, with perceptions of AI in health education emerging as the strongest predictor of acceptance. Although the findings are limited by the single-institution design and cross-sectional methodology, they provide the first empirical evidence on AI acceptance among dental hygiene professionals in Qatar. These results support the need for structured, discipline-specific AI education and highlight the importance of shaping positive educational perceptions. Future research should employ multi-institutional and longitudinal designs to examine how AI attitudes evolve with training and professional experience.

This systematic literature review (SLR) explores the roles of Smart Learning Environments (SLEs) in fostering inclusive education for students with disabilities, with a focus on their applications, challenges, and best practices. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology, this study conducts a rigorous analysis of peer-reviewed articles and conference proceedings from six academic databases. Our study identifies current applications and key technological advancements that enhance accessibility and learning outcomes for students with disabilities. By synthesizing current findings, it also addresses systemic barriers faced by learners with disabilities when engaging with SLEs. It also provides actionable insights for designing and implementing SLEs that promote equity, inclusivity, and empowerment in diverse educational contexts. From an initial pool of 2297 sources published between 2019 and 2024, a rigorous screening and eligibility process resulted in the selection of 43 studies. These studies provide valuable insights into how SLEs can address the diverse needs of students with disabilities while highlighting persistent barriers and areas for improvement. Our study demonstrates the transformative potential of SLE in redefining education for students with disabilities. While these advancements improve learning experiences, ongoing challenges restrict their potential. To bridge these gaps, universal design must be implemented, as well as strengthened regulatory frameworks and targeted professional development. Future research should focus on large-scale, longitudinal studies to examine the long-term impact of SLEs and make significant progress toward truly inclusive education.

Engaging autistic children in collaborative activities offers unique opportunities, especially when creating tools that facilitate social interaction while accommodating their diverse needs. Through a three-phase co-design process involving both autistic and non-autistic children, the study explores engagement levels, sensory preferences, and communication dynamics during the development of a collaborative play prototype. Additionally, it explored how children played with the resulting co-designed prototype. The study involved nine autistic and four non-autistic children, aged 7–12, recruited from two locations in Qatar. The findings revealed that autistic children initially preferred solitary play, with low levels of engagement. However, as they progressed through the structured activities in the co-design phases, the autistic children gradually transitioned towards collaborative play. The study also demonstrated diverse sensory preferences among the children and highlighted the importance of non-verbal communication in facilitating collaboration. Overall, the study showcased the effectiveness of structured co-design activities in fostering social interaction among autistic children and emphasised the importance of adaptable design techniques to accommodate diverse sensory and communication needs.

Recent research has discussed co-designing with autistic children in several settings. However, none of these studies have investigated the inclusive play field. This project aims to co-design and evaluate a tool to promote inclusive, collaborative play with and for autistic children in an educational context.

A co-design process involving autistic children can provide a substantial benefit and optimal utilization of technologies to an off-the-shelf design-based one. Having a voice and making a contribution plays a major role in the co-design process. Yet autistic children exhibit varying communication and social skill and some of them may be minimally verbal or non-verbal. For these reasons, harmonizing the techniques of the co-design process with autistic children with varying characteristics requires detailed and careful consideration. To understand the techniques of the co-design process that accommodates all categories of autistic children, a systematic review of a co-design process involving autistic children was conducted, using six large databases (Scopus, ACM Digital Library, ScienceDirect, IEEE Xplore, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar). The search result includes 2482 papers of which only 82 met the inclusion criteria. The result of the data extraction analysis collection is classified according to techniques for accommodating autistic children of varying characteristics, the challenges encountered, and methods of minimizing those challenges. The review identifies four prominent themes within co-design research for autism: advances in co-design objectives and outcomes, participant recruitment determinants, core co-design methods, and the management of co-design challenges. Highlighting the need for inclusivity and equitable support, the study proposes recommendations for better integration of diverse communication abilities and multiple diagnoses in the co-design process, underlining the importance of adaptive technologies and methods to accommodate the needs of all children.

This study explores the creation and observation of interactions between autistic and non-autistic children with a custom-designed, multi-sensory “Bag-of-stuff” during co-design sessions of a collaborative play toy. The “Bag-of-stuff” features a variety of sensory materials selected through the paired choice assessment technique to enhance the children’s involvement in the co-design process. Insights gleaned from observing these interactions offer a deeper understanding of how multi-sensory tools can promote participation and engagement among autistic and non-autistic children in the design process. Additionally, this paper suggests future directions for research, including investigating various sensory dimensions and refining choice presentation methods to optimize children’s engagement in the co-design process.

This paper presents a systematic literature review investigating collaborative play for autistic children. Autistic children are often faced with challenges related to social interaction, communication, and interest during play. This underscores the importance of exploring collaborative play as a potential intervention. Collaborative play, where children engage together towards shared goals, offers promising prospects for improving communication abilities in autistic children. To conduct this review, four search engines were utilized, resulting in the identification of 2,452 articles. Through a systematic selection process, the initial pool was narrowed down to 74 articles for further examination, eventually focusing on 14 papers. The findings indicate that various resources and strategies can facilitate collaborative play among autistic children. The review discussed the technologies employed and emphasized the need for regular engagement in collaborative play for autistic children, with the presence of a mediator – often parents or teachers – to support the different actions. The studies highlighted the inclusive environments, where autistic children play alongside their neurotypical peers, fostering social development can be of support. This review sheds light on the critical aspects of collaborative play that have not been adequately studied, providing valuable insights for researchers and practitioners.

Introduction. In educational settings, autistic children often encounter barriers to engaging in collaborative play. Notably, play is an important component of a child’s development, and its pedagogical significance has been rigorously researched. This study endeavored to understand the dynamics of collaborative play among autistic children across various learning contexts, examining usual methodologies, associated challenges, and potential technological constraints influencing the collaborative play among autistic children.

Methods. The study was conducted in two diverse environments, an inclusive international school and a center for children with disabilities, both located in Qatar, and both with a significant population of autistic children. The data was gathered through a series of 45 interviews with a diverse group of proxies, including therapists, teachers, and parents. Furthermore, 48 observation sessions were conducted with the autistic children in both settings. The data from the interviews and observation sessions were analyzed using inductive reasoning to perform a thematic analysis.

Results. The study elicited six key themes from the interviews, coined as ‘5 W-H’, which encompassed the aspects of who (Actor), where (Location), what (Tool), why (Purpose), which (Sense), and how (Process) in terms of how collaborative play was conducted. From the observation sessions, another four themes were derived, which centered on collaborative play, potential for collaboration, coordinated activity, and collaborative activity.

Discussion. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the practice of collaborative play among autistic children, serving as a useful resource to guide future research agenda and educational practices. Understanding these dynamics can aid in developing more effective educational strategies and technologies to enhance the collaborative learning experiences of autistic children.

Autistic children experience the world differently, especially in social interaction and communication. Several technology tools have been designed and developed to support autistic children in learning various academic and life skills. However, often the design of such tools will happen in isolation. This oversight has been recognized and is becoming a topic of significant interest in the Human-Computer Interaction community. Play is essential to human life, particularly for the growth of children. Yet, research indicates that autistic children might face challenges when trying to play with their peers. The core of this thesis is co-designing a collaborative play tool with and for autistic children within educational environments. This thesis work can be broken down into two stages: “Explore” and “Design.”

This paper introduces a co-design methodology aimed at the development of a multisensory tool to facilitate collaborative play among autistic children, a demographic traditionally underrepresented in the co-design process. Due to challenges in social and communication skills, autistic children may experience difficulties in engaging in collaborative play. Co-design is used to effectively incorporate the perspectives of all stakeholders, including researchers, developers, and end users when developing a new product. In this work, the co-design methodology was devised following an extensive contextual inquiry study involving interviews and observational sessions of 18 autistic children, based in a disability center and an inclusive school, in Qatar. The research method involves sequential and interconnected stages of logistics setup, familiarization, pair interaction, co-design, and testing, each laying the groundwork for the subsequent phase. Future endeavors should focus on validating and enhancing this co-design approach to ensure its efficacy and adaptability to varying contexts and user needs.

The prevalence of autism is currently on the rise around the world. Autism is often associated with challenges in social communication, which could impact children’s ability to play and integrate with their surroundings. Despite this, there is a lack of studies on that explore collaborative play for autistic children. To address this deficiency, a contextual inquiry was conducted which comprised of a semi-structured interviews with teachers, specialists, and parents, as well as observation sessions of nine autistic children engaged in play-based activities. The purpose of this study is to investigate the interaction between autistic children and play tools during play sessions and to make recommendations for the development of toolkits for co-designing collaborative play with autistic children. The analysis phase includes evaluating the play tools based on the level of interaction, targeted skills, and employed senses. According to the findings, autistic children mostly explore the tools, while their teachers focus on enhancing their motor abilities. Also, the sense of touch was employed most frequently during play sessions. This study contributes to the development of future toolkits supporting co-design of collaborative play experiences for autistic children.

Polynomials are widely employed to represent numbers derived from mathematical operations in nearly all areas of mathematics. The ability to factor polynomials entirely into linear components allows for a wide range of problem simplifications. This paper presents and demonstrates a novel straightforward approach to solving polynomial problems by converting them to matrix equations. Each polynomial of degree n can be decomposed into a sum of degree ⌈n/2⌉ polynomials squared, i.e., Σ(i = 0 to n) aᵢxⁱ = Σ(i = 1 to ⌈n/2⌉ + 1) [Σ(j = 0 to ⌈n/2⌉) bᵢ,ⱼxʲ]². It follows that the complexity of factorizing a polynomial of degree 2n is equivalent to that of factorizing polynomial of degree 2n − 1. The proposed method for solving fourth-degree polynomials will be a valuable contribution to linear algebra due to its simplicity compared to the current method. This work presents a unique approach to solving polynomials of four or fewer degrees and presents new possibilities for tackling larger degrees. Additionally, our methodology can also be used for educational purposes.

Recent research has discussed co-designing with autistic children in several settings. However, none of the these studies had investigated the inclusive play field. In this PhD work, we aim to co-design and evaluate a tool to promote inclusive, collaborative play with and for autistic children in an educational context. The work is divided into three phases: Exploration, designing and prototyping, and evaluation. We are currently working toward the end of the first phase. So far, we have conducted a systematic literature review and interview sessions. The achieved results emphasized the need to facilitate collaborative, inclusive play in educational contexts given the different benefit it can have on enhancing children’s communication and problem-solving skills.

The number of autistic children worldwide is recently increasing and often they exhibit difficulties in social and communication skills. Many design processes exclude autistic children due to concerns that their social and communication differences may act as barriers to participation, leading to calls for more inclusive design processes. Recent research has discussed co-designing with autistic children in several settings. However, none of the these studies had investigated the inclusive play field. In this PhD work, we aim to co-design and evaluate a tool to promote inclusive, collaborative play with and for autistic children in an educational context. The work is divided into three phases: Explore, design, and evaluate. In the explore phase, we conduct a systematic literature review to understand the current state-of-the-art of recent papers regarding co-design including autistic children. Also, a contextual inquiry contains interview and observation sessions to understand the challenges, barriers, and technology used with autistic children in inclusive and collaborative play. The result of phase 1 is a toolkit that will be used in co-design sessions. Phase 2 consists of co-design sessions with autistic children to develop an interface for collaborative and inclusive play. Lastly, phase 3 consists of two studies to evaluate the developed interface. The first study is to evaluate the interface within autistic children however the second study is to assess it with autistic and non-autistic children in an inclusive and collaborative play activity. So far, we have conducted a systematic literature review and interview sessions. The achieved results emphasized the need to facilitate collaborative, inclusive play in educational contexts given the different benefit it can have on enhancing children’s communication and problem-solving skills.

Switching from face-to-face learning to online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic is challenging for students especially for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parents and caregivers of children with ASD struggle when adjusting to the new situation due to the lack of online supportive educational resources. This paper explores two different mediums for online learning resources; which are mobile applications and videos. The strengths and limitations of 11 mobile applications and two websites on educational videos were highlighted and compared using customized rubrics adapted from existing studies. Findings show that the existing applications require content enhancements, dynamic children-directed layout design and free access to a number of the contents. The reviewed videos on two different websites have quality content but lack explicit subject categorization as well as filtering features to help parents and caregivers access desired videos. Evaluation of online learning experience for children with ASD is still in its infancy and requires further research, especially in content development.

Background. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit difficulties in social and communication skills. For more than 30 years, specialists, parents, and caregivers have used techniques, such as applied behavioral analysis, augmentative and alternative communication, and the picture exchange communication system to support the social and communication skills of people with ASD. Even though there are many techniques devised to enhance communication, these techniques are not considered in existing social media apps for people with ASD.

Objective. This study aimed to investigate the effect of adding accessibility features, such as text-to-speech (TTS), speech-to-text (STT), and communication symbols (CS), to a messaging app (MAAN). We hypothesized that these accessibility features can enhance the social and communication skills of adults with ASD. We also hypothesized that usage of this app can reduce social loneliness in adults with ASD.

Methods. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 5 experts working in fields related to ASD to help design the app. Seven adults with ASD participated in the study for a period of 10 to 16 weeks. Data logs of participants' interactions with the app were collected. Additionally, 6 participants' parents and 1 caregiver were asked to complete a short version of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA-S) questionnaire to compare pre-post study results. The Mobile Application Rating Scale: user version questionnaire was also used to evaluate the app's usability. Following the study, interviews were conducted with participants to discuss their experiences with the app.

Results. The SELSA-S questionnaire results showed no change in the family subscale; however, the social loneliness subscale showed a difference between prestudy and poststudy. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated that poststudy SELSA-S results were statistically significantly higher than prestudy results (z=-2.047; P=.04). Point-biserial correlation indicated that the SELSA-S rate of change was strongly related to usage of the TTS feature (r=0.708; P=.04) and CS feature (r=-0.917; P=.002), and moderately related to usage of the STT feature (r=0.428; P=.17). Lastly, we adopted grounded theory to analyze the interview data, and the following 5 categories emerged: app support, feature relevance, user interface design, overall feedback, and recommendations.

Conclusions. This study discusses the potential for improving the communication skills of adults with ASD through special features in mobile messaging apps. The developed app aims to support the inclusion and independent life of adults with ASD. The study results showed the importance of using TTS, STT, and CS features to enhance social and communication skills, as well as reduce social loneliness in adults with ASD.

This virtual classroom has created a lot of challenges for students with limited access to the technology (computer or smartphone) or the Internet and especially for the parents of children with developmental disabilities, including children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a lifelong disorder and characterized by difficulties in social communication skills and may exhibit a restricted or repetitive set of behaviors. The number of children with ASD is soaring worldwide. There are no platforms that facilitate remote and interactive learning for children with ASD. In this paper, we describe the process of ideation, and design of an interactive educational platform that utilizes the role of mixed-reality (real-time teaching and virtual teaching) to enable remote learning for children with ASD. This work is a product of our continuous collaboration with special education and assistive technology centers based in Qatar in which we have developed an augmented reality (AR) vocabulary learning application for children with ASD in English and Arabic. The application provides the learning of letters and words in an interactive environment. We plan to extend this app to a full-educational platform using mixed-reality. The ideation and design processes were conducted collaboratively with teachers and specialists. In this platform, the child will be learning in a real-time environment when a teacher, child, and parents are all online together at a given time; however, in the absence of a teacher, a robotic talkative avatar would support a child and its parents in a virtual environment. The teachers will also have the capability to communicate with the children and their parents through the platform. It will also allow teachers, specialists, and parents to monitor the child’s performance as well.

Modern social communication is becoming more technology enabled. However, most of these technology are not accessible by autistic adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Due to their issues in social and communication skills, they need special features that can help verbal and non-verbal individuals to use a messaging application.