Inclusive Practices for Child-Centered AI Design and Testing

TL;DR

This paper discusses inclusive design practices for developing AI technologies tailored to neurodivergent children, emphasizing accessibility, sensory considerations, and participatory design to improve support and engagement.

Contribution

It introduces new inclusive practices and considerations for involving neurodivergent children in AI design and testing processes.

Findings

Inclusive AI design enhances accessibility for neurodivergent children

Participatory approaches improve relevance and usability of AI tools

Sensory sensitivities are critical in designing child-centered AI

Abstract

We explore ideas and inclusive practices for designing and testing child-centered artificially intelligent technologies for neurodivergent children. AI is promising for supporting social communication, self-regulation, and sensory processing challenges common for neurodivergent children. The authors, both neurodivergent individuals and related to neurodivergent people, draw from their professional and personal experiences to offer insights on creating AI technologies that are accessible and include input from neurodivergent children. We offer ideas for designing AI technologies for neurodivergent children and considerations for including them in the design process while accounting for their sensory sensitivities. We conclude by emphasizing the importance of adaptable and supportive AI technologies and design processes and call for further conversation to refine child-centered AI design and testing methods.