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The case for conversation: a design research framework for participatory feedback from autistic children

This paper presents the human-centred design approach followed throughout the development of the Responsive Dome Environment, an interactive multi-sensory space designed to elicit social communication between children and their parent or carer. The study aims to recognise the value of participant voice, using an action research approach which is framed as "not research on people or about people, but research with people" (Heron, 2007, p. 366). But what are the participatory design challenges for working with people that are non-verbal or have difficulty communicating their feedback? Throughout the case study described here, it is argued that employing inter-disciplinary methods for opening multiple channels of communication leads to a richer picture of participatory experience. This paper also introduces 'conversational probes', a design framework used to elicit and record feedback in experimental studies with autistic children. We describe how methods used in support of this framework can encourage participants to refocus their expression; in particular, the use of 'sabotage' as a disruptive device. This new approach would benefit the developmental stages of interaction design and HCI projects, particularly those working with a population that has difficulty in communicating participatory feedback.