Kathang Salaysay (KatSay): An Interactive Social Story App for Children with ASD

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an interactive social story app for children with ASD. The study used the descriptive method of research through the Research and Development (R&D) Cycle by Borg and Gall (1991). Documentary analysis, questionnaire and unstructured interviews were used as instrument/techniques while weighted mean and standard deviation were used to interpret the data. A total of three children with ASD aged 5-10 years old, together with their parents and SPED teachers, were asked to participate. The study was conducted in Sinag SPED Center located at Kalalake Elementary School in Olongapo City. Both reading readiness skills and difficulties in social skills of the students were determined as basis in developing and validating the interactive social story app. The reading readiness skills of children with ASD in terms of making predictions and connecting the story and characters to own life and difficulties in social skills such as taking turns during games and activities, asking questions to request information about a person and all social communication deficits should be well developed since these skills become increasingly more sophisticated and needed of children with ASD. This is highlighted in this study in which students in the surveyed school appeared to have not acquired these skills. In the light of foregoing findings, the following conclusions were drawn: the developed and validated interactive social story app proved that it is an effective e-learning tool for children with autism aged 5 to 10 which can facilitate learning. It also showed that it can be a supplementary aid to SPED teachers in developing the social skills of children with autism