Abstract
Background:Wearable technology (WT) to measure and support social and non-social functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been a growing interest of researchers over the past decade. There is however limited understanding of the WTs currently available for autistic individuals, and how they measure functioning in this population.Objective:This scoping review explored the use of WTs for measuring and supporting abilities, disabilities and functional skills in autistic youth.Method:Four electronic databases were searched to identify literature investigating the use of WT in autistic youth, resulting in a total of 33 studies being reviewed. Descriptive and content analysis was conducted, with studies subsequently mapped to the ASD International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core-sets and the ICF Child and Youth Version (ICF-CY).Results:Studies were predominately pilot studies for novel devices. WTs measured a range of physiological and behavioural functions to objectively measure stereotypical motor movements, social function, communication, and emotion regulation in autistic youth in the context of a range of environments and activities.Conclusions:While this review raises promising prospects for the use of WTs for autistic youth, the current evidence is limited and requires further investigation.
Highlights
Advancements in health monitoring have allowed for the development of external wearable systems, capable of unobtrusively capturing behavioral and physiological data in real-time
While the review by Koumpouros and Kafazis [15] explored both Wearable technology (WT) and mobile technology more generally, this review focuses on WTs that are available to measure and support functioning in autistic youth, mapping the functions they measure according to the ICF Core Sets for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the ICF Child and Youth Version (ICF-CY), enabling a comprehensive understanding of the use of WTs to assess abilities, disabilities, and functional skills
There is promising evidence to suggest that WTs may prove useful for measuring and supporting functioning in autistic youth, it is apparent that the use of WTs is in its infancy and requires additional investigation
Summary
Advancements in health monitoring have allowed for the development of external wearable systems, capable of unobtrusively capturing behavioral and physiological data in real-time These systems, referred to as ‘wearable technology’ (WT) are devices worn externally, with built-in electronic functions utilized during the course of activity. Unlike traditional methods of monitoring physiological activity and behavior, WTs have the potential to provide real-time and objective measures of activity during day to day life [3, 4]. These technologies may show promise in expanding. Conclusions: While this review raises promising prospects for the use of WTs for autistic youth, the current evidence is limited and requires further investigation
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