Its design is based on the analysis of previous development studies on the development of emotional competence in boys and girls who develop normally, and also of the peculiarities of such development in boys and girls with ASD. This is the area where researchers Edgar Bresó and Clara Andrés, of the Department of Developmental, Educational and Social Psychology and Methodology of the UJI, work. The computer science development involved has been carried out by Francisco Ramos, a researcher in the UJI Department of Computer Languages and Systems. Boys and girls with ASD have serious difficulties in the emotional competence area. Edgar Bresó and Clara Andrés explained that “in everyday life, these difficulties prevent these children from forming quality reciprocal social relationships with their friends or classmates while studying pre-school and primary education. This situation becomes worse during secondary education if no solution is provided through the necessary intervention”.
Nowadays, several studies have revealed that it is possible to improve the emotional competence of boys and girls with ASD. Nonetheless, Bresó added, “most of these studies have focused on evaluating and intervening in only partial aspects of emotional competence. Therefore, its diffusion in the scientific community and to education professionals has been hindered, and today there is demand for an efficient low-cost tool to evaluate and intervene in this very important area”.
This application will be initially designed in Valencian, Spanish and English, and could be translated into other languages in the future. The project foresees the application being developed in 2016, and shared with different interested sectors both nationally and internationally (education centres, school psycho-pedagogical services, parents associations, etc.).
