Literacy of children with Down Syndrome supported by a digital game

Alfabetização de crianças com Síndrome de Down apoiada por um jogo digital

Resumo

The literacy process is challenging and when it comes to literacy for people with some type of disability, this process requires special attention. For people with Down Syndrome (DS), it is necessary to adapt the process and use appropriate tools and methodologies to ensure learning. This work developed a digital game for mobile devices, aiming to help the literacy process of children with DS and based on bibliographical research on the problems and limitations in learning for this public and on the investigation of how and what types of assistive technologies have helped in this process. The game was developed on the Construct3 platform (free version), the design and modeling were carried out (with UML) and the software requirements were identified, as well as the mechanics of the game and activities. For validation, a field survey was carried out with education professionals whose data were collected through questionnaires, after the experience of using the game. The game was considered a relevant contribution to the literacy of children with DS, due to the characteristics and activities present being aligned with this profile.