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The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased in recent decades. The need to provide evidence-based practices in the field of ASD is also growing. The Institute for Child Development (IWRD) in Poland is offering science-based intervention to children with autism, based on the model developed initially by McClannahan and Krantz (1993) in the Princeton Child Development Institute, USA. Their research and clinical experience show that activity schedules are very effective in teaching people with autism many new skills. However, activity schedules in the “traditional” paper version could lead to stigmatization while used in the social environment. It is essential to give people with autism spectrum disorder socially acceptable tools, which can help them to function more independently. The intensive development of modern technologies as well as an easy access to various types of mobile devices inspired us to implement tablets into our treatment. Friendly Schedule is an application for children and youth with autism and related disorders, which was developed as a joint initiative of the Gdańsk University of Technology and the Institute for Child Development. The application was created as a “non-profit” project. The data from our research show that manual prompts Iwona Ruta-Sominka, Anna Budzińska are very effective in teaching children with autism to follow activity schedules on a tablet. All of our participants learned to use the application Friendly Schedule to complete five tasks independently. In the IWRD program the application Friendly Schedule is used to teach students with autism a variety of new skills, including verbal and social behaviours. K e y w o r d s: autism, activity schedules, application, assistive technology, manual prompts, independence Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism was described for the first time 75 years ago by Leo Kanner. There is no brain scan, blood test, or any other objective test which can diagnose autism. The diagnosis must rely on observations of a person’s behaviour. The definitions and diagnostic criteria for autism have changed many times over the years. The latest changes made by the American Psychiatric Association are very broad. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM; APA, 2013) included autism within the neurodevelopmental disorders. DSM-5’s classification also changed the diagnostic name to “autism spectrum disorder” (ASD) to emphasize that the level of functional independence among individuals with autism can differ from very mild to severe. Individuals with ASD show varying degrees of severity of major symptoms: difficulties in social communication, restricted and repetitive behaviour, and sensory abnormalities (De Groot & Van Strien, 2016). The prevalence of autism is still growing. The data from 2016 published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Maenner et al., 2020) estimate autism’s prevalence as 1 in 54 children aged eight years. A strong male bias in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence has been observed – the combined male to female prevalence ratio was 4.3 to 1. The first symptoms of autism appear before the child reaches the age of three. Deficits in social reciprocity are the most significant factor for autism. People with ASD have difficulties with a normal back-and-forth conversation; they very often fail to initiate or respond to social interactions and rarely share their interests or achievements with others. For some people with autism, the development of spoken language will be delayed, and others will have no spoken language. Difficulties in verbal communication are not compensated by nonverbal communication. People with autism can show marked impairment in the use of eye contact, facial expressions, or body postures. They also have deficits in understanding and using gestures during social interaction IJREL.2020.6.2.07 p. 2/18 Using the Application Friendly Schedule on a Tablet to Promote Independence... (APA, 2013). Limited communication and inability to express personal needs may result in unwanted behaviours such as tantrums or aggression. In the diagnostic criteria of ASD, there are also listed restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behaviour, interests, and activities. People with autism can show inflexible adherence to specific, non-functional routines or rituals. They can engage in different types of stereotyped or repetitive motor movements. In ASD, developmental deficits are very extensive and limit a person’s ability to function properly in many different areas of life. Applied Behaviour Analysis Although no cure for autism is known, there are well-documented treatment approaches which can address some of the challenges associated with ASD. Behavioural approaches have been recognized by many researchers and practitioners as the most effective treatment methods (Green, 1996; Howard et al., 2005; Eikeseth et al., 2007; Peters-Scheffer et al., 2011). In these approaches, treatment procedures are based on the principles of applied behaviour analysis. Applied behaviour analysis (ABA) is the dataand research-based application of behavioural principles to socially significant behaviour (Cooper et al., 2007). The best results for children with autism can be achieved by a long-term, comprehensive ABA intervention. Positive effects can be observed in intellectual functioning, language development, and adaptive behaviour of people with autism. More evident results can be achieved in verbal IQ, receptive and expressive language than in non-verbal IQ or independent social functioning (Virués-Ortega, 2010). Through decades of research, applied behaviour analysts have developed many teaching procedures. These procedures are very effective in increasing deficit behaviour and reducing problem behaviour. ABA techniques can be used for children with autism to develop their social, communication, play, and self-care skills, as well as the ability to manage their own behaviour. Activity Schedules People with ASD may get fixated on one activity and have problems in independent transitioning between different tasks or performing a complex chains of behaviours (Clarke et al., 1999). The ability to learn sequential tasks is also impaired in high-functioning individuals with ASD. Promoting independent functioning of people with disabilities is one of the main goals in educational and vocational settings. Independent functioning and reduction of prompt dependency is necessary for the successful inclusion of students with autism to the society. Children with autism can complete a variety of activities but very often depend on prompts to switch from one activity to another (McClannahan & Krantz, 2010). Dependency on prompts and verbal cues from others is a significant problem for IJREL.2020.6.2.07 p. 3/18 Iwona Ruta-Sominka, Anna Budzińska students with disabilities, because in many educational institutions or intervention programs whole learning process is built on teachers’ cues and assistance (MacDuff et al., 1993), thus running the risk that the students will not respond to natural stimuli. A well-known and scientifically documented instructional strategy which demonstrated multiple benefits for students with autism, including transitional skills and promoting independence, is an activity schedule. McClannahan and Krantz (2010) defined an activity schedule as a set of photographs, pictures or words which cues a person to complete a sequence of activities. The most important benefit of an activity schedule is that stimulus control can be transferred from a parent or teacher to a visual cue (Copeland & Hughes, 2000). When people with autism learn to respond to picture cues, these cues can guide their behaviour in the absence of supervising adults. Activity schedules usually consist of notebooks depicting a series of photographs, symbols, and/or words which are presented sequentially to cue a chain of responses (McClannahan & Krantz, 2010). There is much research supporting the use of activity schedules to teach and promote functional independence in children with autism. The research also indicates that schedule-following may have positive correlation with reductions in stereotypic or disruptive behaviours (Krantz et al., 1993; Koyama & Wang, 2011). Schedules may be used with preschoolers, teenagers, and adults at different levels of functioning. Activity schedules can be used to teach students with autism independent play, communication skills, daily living skills and on-task behaviours (Krantz et al., 1993; Banda et al., 2009). Modern Technologies Over the last few years, we could observe modern technologies becoming more popular in special education. The amount of research done in this area is growing. The results are very promising, with a clear conclusion that modern technologies can be very effectively used in the daily treatment of people with disabilities. These technologies allow support and learning to occur at all times of the day, whether at home or at school; they also permit self-management and self-instruction. A stunningly great feature of these devices is the fact that they are now so commonplace in our society that they can provide a less stigmatizing method for supporting and teaching students with disabilities (Silton, 2014, p. XIX). The review of studies and literature showed that students with a moderate to mild intellectual disability and/or with autism can use technological aids to learn IJREL.2020.6.2.07 p. 4/18 Using the Application Friendly Schedule on a Tablet to Promote Independence... academic, communication, employment, and leisure skills (Kagohara et al., 2013; Den Brok & Sterenburg, 2015; Valencia et al., 2019). New skills are acquired through prompting, interaction with devices, and also practicing in realistic virtual environments. iOS based devices can be used also to increase independence for the persons with autism, so the assistance of an adult can

Using the Application Friendly Schedule on a Tablet to Promote Independence in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder