Recognising the unique challenges and opportunities faced by people on the autism spectrum in navigating the complex world of media, the ASDigital and a-STEP COST Action (CA19104) have brought together a group of academics, professionals and people on the autism spectrum to develop short, user-friendly approaches that reflect on the existing evidence on the challenges and promise of this relationship.
The primary objective of this book titled “Media Literacy and Assistive Technologies for Empowerment in Autism” is to examine and shed light on the aforementioned dynamics. It aims to provide valuable perspectives on how media literacy and assistive technology can enhance the capabilities of individuals with autism, enabling them to flourish in the era of digital advancements.
Promoting more media literacy initiatives including individuals in the autism spectrum could provide them the tools to navigate an ever-evolving digital landscape with confidence and competence (Ressa, 2022). Therefore, in the first part of this book, called “Autism, Diversity, and Media Literacy”, six chapters are presented, to explore the different intersections between the fields of media literacy, media education, diversity, and autism.
Taking into consideration that Assistive Technologies (AT) show great promise in supporting people with diverse abilities and expertise, including people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID), and that intuitive, inclusive design and proper implementation of AT can foster confidence and self-sufficiency to truly empower and socially include individuals across the ASD and ID spectra. The second half of this book, entitled “Assistive Technologies, Empowerment, and Inclusion”, has as its main goal to delve into a broad range of assistive technologies at the nexus of empowerment and inclusion.