Inclusive Classroom

Writing problems in children is a key determining factor for their social inclusion within mainstream classrooms, especially for children with autism. Children with autism are often frustrated when they are unable to write legibly, causing them to become discouraged and thus avoid and minimize their practice time.

In this project, we propose PenSando, a smartpen augmented with sensing capabilities to aid in the detection of the handwriting learning needs of a child, along with a voice assistant to guide children's practice sessions. The pen will be able to help in two important ways: first, to aid in the diagnosis of fine motor skills problems based on writing patterns; and second, to provide real-time feedback to the child during practice lessons. Moreover, the device will facilitate the personalization of the handwriting teaching-learning process with a voice interface.

This research will lay the foundations to propose the design of interactive technology that promotes the social inclusion of children with autism in typical schools.