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Our Approach

It started with user-centred research.

We realise that the needs of every learner are very different. To develop Cosmo, we worked with dozens of schools, daycares, and therapy services. We discussed, prototyped and played with hundreds of typically developing children, learners with Cerebral Palsy, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Down’s Syndrome. This is why Cosmo is so versatile.

“We opted to create a system that can be used in a multitude of settings.”
Understanding Users

In 2014 our team of therapy, design and engineering professionals realised a pressing need to explore how interaction design and technology can unlock the potential of students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

We visited schools, parents, daycare centres, and therapy services. We observed and played with hundreds of learners with Cerebral Palsy, Autism Spectrum Disorder, brain injuries, Down’s Syndrome, and typically developing children.

Working with diverse professionals
  • We worked with nearly 200 professionals of different specialisations: Teachers, Occupational, Physical, Music, Speech and Language Therapists, SEN Teachers and SENCOs. We learned from them about the versatile needs of users through research interviews, focus groups and participants observation.

 

  • We tried a variety of solutions and developed dozens of prototypes to create Cosmo. We opted to create a system that is customisable and can be used in a multitude of settings. A system that provides new activities and difficulty levels as learners progress. A system that is easy to use, versatile and robust.

The Cosmo Project

University of Birmingham, February -March 2016
Our team worked with Dr Lila Kossyvaki, a lecturer in Severe, Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties at the University of Birmingham, and Dr Sara Curran from Cambridge University.
  • We conducted a research study with Cosmo and measured its impact on the engagement, emotional expression and social communication of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
  • The study has been peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of Intellectual Disabilities in spring 2018. It is titled “The role of technology-mediated music-making in enhancing engagement and social communication in children with autism and intellectual disabilities”.
  • The study lasted five weeks and examined the interaction of five children with Cosmo. The participants were students of Hamilton School in Birmingham and are diagnosed with severe learning difficulties (P levels 1-3).
Read paper

Summary of the Study

Purpose

Dr. Lila Kossyvaki, a lecturer at the University of Birmingham specializing in Severe, Profound, and Multiple Learning Difficulties, along with Dr. Sara Curran from Cambridge University, conducted research on enhancing the Cosmo units. 
They studied how Cosmo units affected engagement, emotions, and social communication in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Severe Learning Disabilities. They conducted eight ten-minute sessions with five children (one girl and four boys aged 5-7) at their SEN school after pilot studies.

Combining music and technology

The Cosmo units have two key strengths: music and technology. For people in our study who have ASD and other learning disabilities, these elements work really well. Music is crucial because it’s a way for them to communicate, even if they can’t speak (MacDonald et al., 2002). It helps them express their feelings and intentions. Plus, you don’t need to understand words to appreciate music, so it’s accessible to everyone (Corke, 2002, p. 12). Technology is also great because it’s predictable and gives consistent responses. You don’t have to know social rules or be good at language to use it, which is perfect for people with ASD (Murray, 1997).

Methodology
  • Primary study: Feb-March 2016
  • Participants: 5 staff (1 teacher, 4 assistants)
  • Method: Participatory action research- researchers and practitioners work in close partnership to produce viable improvements to real-world problems (Reason and Bradbury, 2001).
  • Focus group interviews with staff
  • Activities: Improvisation, Follow the Light, Orchestration, Turn-Taking, Exploration
  • Methodology influences: Intensive Interaction, Musical Interaction, Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT) (Ingersoll and Schreibman, 2006).
  • Approach: Balanced modeling and following child’s lead
  • Techniques: Imitating, commenting, prompting, praising
  • Goals: Observing behaviour changes, strengths, and areas for improvement.
Results

A preliminary analysis of the findings showed that:

  1. engagement either increased or remained high for four out of five children,
  2. expression of positive emotions increased for most children,
  3. social communication, especially requesting and rejecting, as well as commenting, was higher than typically expected for this cohort.

Lastly, there was knowledge co-production between staff and researchers, akin to Parsons et al. (2015). The researcher identified advantages and challenges of multidisciplinary teamwork, affirming existing literature (Lacey, 1998; Lacey, 2012).

Increased engagement
in learning

Significantly increased the engagement levels of all children who participated in the study.

Increased frequency & quality of communication

Increased the frequency of initiating communication and the responsiveness to adult’s communication.

Improved emotional regulation

Decreased expression of negative emotions and increased expression of positive emotions.