FocusedModePlus

A tool that could help persons with Autism to Focus more only on a certain part of the screen, by reducing unnecessary distractions on the Screen.....

What is FocusedModePlus

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention.

Technology has helped Autism in many ways...

Video on How to Diagnoze Autism with Computers (and Machine Learning)

Apart from this, there are various software applications available for persons with Autism. Broadly the softwares can be classified into the following Catagories...

Autism Diagnosis / Training / Early Intervention (for Parents)
Communication / Assistive Aids
Early Schooling / Educational Aids
Entertainment / Recreational software
Other Tools / Utilities

For a Curated list of Software Solutions for Autism - you may refer to the following URL...

http://www.mousetrial.com/autism_software.html

Issues faced by Users of Software (with Autism)

(A) Distraction from Pop-ups / Notificarions

A common issue that's faced by persons with Autism is distraction from Pop-ups / Notifications. When Pop-ups / Notifications appear - users can easily get distracted by them and lose focus on the Activity that they're currently performing. Persons with Autism can also get overwhelmed by these Pop-ups / Notifications - and not be in a position to decide what to do next.

Focus Assist on Windows 10

The Focus Assist feature was originally introduced as ‘Quiet Hours’ in previous versions of Windows 10. This feature enables you to avoid unnecessary notifications while you are carrying out a task that demands your focus. You get flexibility in deciding the degree of suppression of notifications. You may maintain a priority list or completely avoid notifications.

In the Focus Assist section, you will also find a heading named Automatic rules. Here you can make the Windows learn the conditions that should enable the Focus Assist automatically. You get the following four conditions to set.

During these times: You can set the desired time during which you don’t want any distraction from notifications.
When I’m duplicating my display: Enabling this option suppresses notifications as long as you’re projecting your monitor to an external screen.
When I’m playing a game: This option prevents notifications while you play games in full-screen mode.
When I’m using an app in full-screen mode: This option also blocks notifications as long as you’re using an app in full-screen mode.

For a full run down on how to use Focus Assist - please visit the following URLs...

https://www.gadgetbridge.com/how-to/what-is-focus-assist-in-windows-10-and-how-to-enable-it/
https://blogs.microsoft.com/accessibility/m365-accessibility-spring-2022/
or just Google for "Focus Assist on Windows 11"...

(B) Clutter leading to Sensory Overload

Clutter can be a huge stressor for people with autism because it can contribute to sensory overload and overall stress levels. An unorganized and messy space (a cluttered desktop for instance) can also make simple tasks more difficult because a larger amount of time may need to be dedicated to finding needed files / items.

A user posted the following comments on reddit... "Yes, but I also have ADHD. I simultaneously want a clean space but will treat clutter as invisible.

When I finally "see" clutter, I will start so rapidly and thoroughly cleaning that I get overwhelmed and then I'll be so burnt out that I can't even consider the thought of cleaning for days. When this happens, I usually end up undoing some of the cleaning I did accomplish."

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/AutismTranslated/comments/vlxhcg/do_anyone_else_get_super_overstimulated_by_visual/

Microsoft Immersive Reader

Microsoft Immersive Reader is an interactive reading comprehension and learning tool. This tool makes text more accessible to learners of all ages and abilities. Using Microsoft Immersive Reader, you can have text read aloud at different speeds and by different voices, change text size, font, and spacing, highlight specific parts of speech (e.g., nouns, verbs), break apart words by syllables, translate text to more than 80 languages, hear audio recordings of the words spoken in different languages, and see words represented as pictures.

Microsoft Immersive Reader can be accessed through Microsoft Tools (e.g., Word, OneNote, Edge) and you can try it out for free on the Learning Tools page of the Microsoft website. Immersive Reader can also be accessed through Flipgrid. This tool can be beneficial for students who are learning English as well as students with disabilities.

Microsoft Immersive Reader is quite possibly the only App of its kind - that can be used in the Mainstream...

For more details, visit - (1) https://blogs.umass.edu/onlinetools/knowledge-centered-tools/microsoft-immersive-reader/ Or (2) Just Google for "Immersive Reader"...