Introduction

Abstract

The use of interactive technologies for, by, and in support of people with autism has grown dramatically over the last few decades. Notably, this research is still dominated by a focus on children; however, some recent scholarship has begun to more fully embrace the wide range of experiences of autistic adults. We attempt in this second edition to more explicitly broaden this review and call out those challenges. Some people claim that autistic people show particular interest in interactive technologies, particularly when they are made inclusive and accessible (Mazurek et al., 2012). During the last two decades, however, use of a variety of personal, social, and organizational technologies has simply become commonplace for all people. This review, then, does not attempt a comprehensive examination of technology use by people with autism and related conditions. Rather, the following pages are dedicated to a consideration of the empirical and published research focused on use of interactive technologies to support and enhance clinical and therapeutic goals for screening and diagnosis, educational goals for intervention monitoring, and other research efforts in support of this community. We take note, when and where possible, of existing gaps we identify in the literature, such as the focus on children noted above or the limited research published by people with autism about their own communities.