About one-third of autistic people are nonspeaking, and most are never provided access to an effective alternative to speech. Thoughtfully designed AR applications could provide members of this population with structured learning opportunities, including training on skills that underlie alternative forms of communication. A fundamental step toward creating such opportunities, however, is to investigate nonspeaking autistic people’s ability to tolerate a head-mounted AR device and to interact with virtual objects. We present the first study to examine the usability of an interactive AR-based application by this population. We recruited 17 nonspeaking autistic subjects to play a HoloLens 2 game we developed that involved holographic animations and buttons. Almost all subjects tolerated the device long enough to begin the game, and most completed increasingly challenging tasks that involved pressing holographic buttons. Based on the results, we discuss best practice design and process recommendations. Our findings contradict prevailing assumptions about nonspeaking autistic people and thus open up exciting possibilities for AR-based solutions for this understudied and underserved population.

Approximately one-third of individuals with autism are nonspeaking: They cannot communicate effectively using speech. Some traditional accounts suggest that these individuals cannot talk because they lack the symbolic capacity for language. And yet, recent studies have shown that these individuals’ cognitive abilities are vastly underestimated by standardized tests, and that difficulties with motor skills and movement contribute to their difficulty with speech. One consequence of the traditional accounts of nonspeaking autism is that life skills (rather than academic content) tend to be emphasized in schooling. Without access to meaningful academic content, their educational and vocational opportunities are significantly limited. Recent studies have proposed the use of head-mounted Augmented Reality (AR) applications as a means of providing engaging, customizable, and age-appropriate content to this population. Specifically, such applications can address the unique sensory and motor needs of nonspeaking autistic students, e.g., allow them to move freely around the room as they interact with lessons in the application. This paper describes the design and evaluation of the first AR application aimed to facilitate tailored educational experiences for nonspeaking autistic students. After extensive consultations with nonspeaking people, parents, and professionals, we developed our application to run on HoloLens 2 offering lessons and multiple-choice comprehension and spelling questions. We conducted a study involving five nonspeaking autistic participants and two specialized educators. Through a design critique process and an iterative design refinement approach, we show that most of our participants successfully interacted with the application and completed different types of lesson tasks. Based on quantitative data from the study sessions and qualitative feedback from participants and educators, we provide recommendations for UI and UX design that will promote the development and use of such software for this under-served and under-researched population.