Co-Design of a Wearable AAC for Children with Special Needs

Neurodiverse children with communication and speech disorders face persistent barriers to expressing needs, limiting autonomy, increasing caregiver dependence, and restricting participation in daily life. Existing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems are often bulky, require direct assistance, and lack real-time contextual awareness, reducing their usability in dynamic environments. In this work, a wearable communication aid is designed to support activities of daily living, promoting both independence and safety for children while offering peace of mind for caregivers. mCoDE, a Multi-user-centric co-design approach, was employed, involving therapists, educators, and caregivers from initial needs analysis through iterative prototyping. Field studies in special education settings and the co-design process informed a simplified interaction model with a child-friendly interface. A wearable communication device was designed to enable nonverbal children to communicate their needs remotely, utilising an IoT ecosystem to trigger real-time alerts on connected caregiver devices. Design decisions, iterative evaluation, and key findings regarding usability, adaptability, and acceptance in real-world scenarios employing mCoDe process are reported. This paper outlines the design of a smart assistive wearable device for children with communication needs, showcasing the nuances of mCoDe- a multi-user centric co-design approach employed and highlighting the need for encompassing multi-user requirements and decisions in AAC-based wearable solutions in inclusive assistive technology.