Abstract
Based on a survey of 251 in-service teachers in Andalusia (Spain), this study analyzes 23 educational apps used in Spanish for students with autism in the preschool stage (ages 3 to 6). Among other objectives, the study aims to classify the apps according to areas in need of improvement, provide an evaluation overview from the teachers’ perspective, and summarize their main features. In addition, the number of different apps used by each teacher is compared by gender and school location, and a correlation analysis is conducted between this variable and the teachers’ age and years of experience with autism. Among the main findings are: (1) regarding priority areas for improvement, socio-emotional apps received ratings close to those of communication apps, while behavioral apps were rated the lowest; (2) in terms of summarized characteristics, all apps were categorized by applicable age range, all were free of charge, and Spain and the USA stood out as the leading countries in app development, both tied in frequency; and (3) concerning correlations, the number of apps used by each teacher showed a slight negative correlation with age and a slight positive correlation with years of experience with autism.
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