Cool Enough for School: Second Version of Google Glass Rated by Children Facing Challenges to Social Integration as Desirable to Wear at School

Abstract

BackgroundOn July 18th, 2017, X, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. announced the successor to Google Glass. Glass Enterprise Edition could function as an assistive technology for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet its acceptability, desirability, and the willingness of children with ASD to wear it, are not known. The authors review key issues surrounding smartglasses and social communication, child development, and the school environment.\n\nMethodsThe smartglasses were evaluated by eight children with ASD, who ranged from moderately non-verbal to verbal, in the context of whether they would desire to wear it and use it as an assistive device each day at their respective schools. Children represented the full range of school ages (6 - 17yrs).\n\nResultsAll eight children responded that they would want to wear and use Glass Enterprise Edition at school. Additionally, all eight parents said their child had fun during the testing session, and six of eight parents said the experience went better than they had thought.\n\nConclusionThe results show that children with ASD are willing to use Glass Enterprise Edition in a school setting, highlighting its desirability and social acceptability in this population, as well as its future potential as an assistive technology.