Elijah Williams (right) discussing the FaceSay computer program with Dr. Frazier (left).
Author: Elijah Williams | Major: Communication Sciences and Disorders | Semester: Spring 2023
BLURB: Elijah Williams is an honors college student majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders in the College of Education and Health Professions. His honors mentor Dr. Frazier is an associate professor of the Department of Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy. During the spring semester of 2023, Elijah Williams and Dr. Frazier developed data collection procedures and gathered materials for assessing the social skills of male and female children with autism spectrum disorder before and after engaging with a social skills computer program. Over the next two semesters, they plan to gather and assess their data, publish their results, and present their findings at an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association conference.
BODY OF POST: My name is Elijah Williams, and I am majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Throughout the spring semester of 2023 during my junior year, I worked with my honors mentor Dr. Frazier to organize and gather data collection procedures and materials for the following fall semester, when we will compare the efficacy of the FaceSay computer application for improving social skills between male and female children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). FaceSay is a software with which children and adolescents with ASD can play games and complete tasks that teach social skills relating to facial expressions. These games include “Amazing Gazing,” in which users click on the object that an animated character is looking at, as well as “Follow the Leader,” in which users identify and later create various facial expressions depicted by animated characters on the screen.
Before and after our research participants interface with the FaceSay program, they will be evaluated using the Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) Rating Scales. Ten participants aged 6–13 will use the FaceSay program for three 15–20-minute sessions per week for six weeks, totaling eighteen sessions. Once these sessions have concluded, the results of the SSIS Rating Scales will be compared and assessed. The results of this research could inspire other research on the differences between males and females with ASD, especially regarding computer applications. Furthermore, assessing these tests and software will allow developers to improve tests and software for these populations.
When I began searching for research topics, I was immediately drawn to ASD and computer applications for intervention. As I refined my project during my sophomore year, my professor Dr. Glade suggested that I meet with Dr. Frazier due to my topics of interest. After meeting, we quickly developed my research project into its current iteration and she agreed to be my honors mentor. She has explained and guided me through myriad aspects of research while providing honest, constructive feedback on my work. Further, by developing this research project, I learned more about the differences between males and females with ASD. While I knew of the 4:1 ratio of males to females with ASD, I learned from working with Dr. Frazier that this inequality is partially due to differences in the presentation of ASD between males and females.
Although I expected to have difficulty scheduling these sessions while developing the research methods, I was still surprised by the number of factors I had to manage. The location of sessions, the devices on which sessions occurred, and monitors to ensure uninterrupted sessions were just a few of the details that needed to be accounted for before our research plan was complete. Fortunately, thanks to Dr. Frazier and Mrs. Watson—another member of my honors committee—we maintained consistency in research procedures for all of these facets.
Over the next two semesters, I plan to continue this research by gathering and analyzing data as well as drafting a manuscript to publish my findings. I hope to present these findings at an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) conference in the near future. Beyond my undergraduate education, I plan to continue participating in research while preparing for my future career as a speech-language pathologist. Researching these topics has developed my knowledge regarding ASD and computer-based interventions beyond introductory coursework while piquing my curiosity about various subjects of communication sciences and disorders.