Challenges in developing new technologies for special needs education: A force-field analysis

Introduction of new technologies for use in special needs education requires careful design to ensure that their use is suitable for the intended users in the context of use and that learners benefit from the experience. This paper discusses issues that influence implementation of collaborative technologies designed to support learning of social communication skills in young people with autism. Taking a reflective view of lessons learned during the COSPATIAL project, a force-field analysis was applied to identify positive factors contributing to successful application development and negative factors that disrupted progress and implementation of the software. On the basis of our experience in the COSPATIAL project, recommendations for future projects are made.