Practicing social situations can be very important for people who are on the autism spectrum. Ashley Zingillioglu, senior English student, recognizes that and upon researching it, discovered that there is a lack of interactive social stories (ISS), specifically tailored to teach socio-communication skills to middle and high school aged people on the autism spectrum. That is why Zingillioglu created her first product “Talking with Friends.”
The product uses digital storytelling to enable players to practice real-life conversational scenarios without the pressures of a face-to-face chat. This provides users the opportunity to develop social skills, minimizing the fear of potentially awkward encounters.
“I grew up with a brother on the spectrum, so when I came to Monmouth University, I was already interested in solving real-world issues that impact students with autism. When I began working with Dr. Erik Raj and Dr. Yao Du on speech-related research, I noticed the absence of any ISS tailored to teach socio-communicative skills to middle and high school students on the autism spectrum,” explained Zingillioglu.
“Middle-school and high-school students on the autism spectrum require scaffolding in building relationships, and may need assistance initiating conversation, creating an appropriate response, or staying on topic. What’s more, these students may already know these skills but may hesitate to apply them in daily life because they fear the possible negative consequences of unintentionally poor social choices.”
That is when “Talking with Friends” comes in. Zingillioglu said, “Hence, a safe and playful way to address these concerns is through an ISS: immersive content accompanied by visuals, text, and/or audio.”
Playing “Talking with Friends” allows users to learn that making good decisions within a social interaction allows them to move onto the next exercise, furthering their social skill sets by practicing new ones. “More generally, an ISS customized for these learners will give them a digital space they need to grow and thrive as individuals, students, and community members,” said Zingillioglu.
The proposed product that Zingillioglu will be presenting was done through the Honors thesis, approved by Dean Ross, since it did not align with her major, Dr. Stanley Blair suggested the alternate route. Zingillioglu has also been working with the Center for Entrepreneurship. She said, “Through the Monmouth Center for Entrepreneurship, I have studied the varying types of revenue models available for use in a start-up company. I have also refined my skills in launching a go-to-market strategy that surpasses initial business objectives.” She continued, “Most importantly, I have learned to take accountability in the product and culture I cultivate, constantly refining my approach to better serve the target user’s needs.”
Zingillioglu spoke about her experience and said, “I never expected to be selected as a finalist for HawkTank. I am proud and honored to be a part of this community of creative visionaries and innovators.”
Zingillioglu will be pitching her product idea at HawkTank on Apr. 29 in the Center for Entrepreneurship.
