Hacking Agency: Apps, Autism, and Neurodiversity

The relationship between technology and agency is complex and multifaceted. This article explores this relationship by examining autism apps developed by Samsung and Toca Boca, highlighting how these apps distribute agency through a network of human and nonhuman actors.

The divergence between marketing and actual use, alongside critiques about agency and technology within disability studies, underpins the argument for hacking agency.

Whether in computer or knowledge networks, hacking is a critical process that leverages information silos for specific purposes. This article aims to expand notions of rhetorical capacity and challenge narrow approaches to intentionality to facilitate the attribution of agency across the neurological spectrum.

Understanding Rhetorical Agency

Rhetorical agency refers to the capacity of individuals or groups to act in a given context. In traditional views, agency is often human-centered, focusing on intentionality and individual action. However, posthumanist perspectives argue that agency is distributed among various actors, both human and nonhuman, within a network. This broader view of agency is particularly relevant when considering the interaction between neurodivergent individuals and technology.

Neurodiversity and Technology

Neurodiversity recognizes the wide range of neurological differences among individuals, including conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and more. Technology, especially mobile apps, has become an essential tool for supporting neurodivergent individuals. These apps offer various functionalities, from aiding communication to improving social skills.

Samsung's Look At Me

Samsung's Look At Me app aims to help children with autism make eye contact and read emotions. The app uses interactive games and visual stimuli to engage users, promoting social interaction and emotional recognition. Despite its noble intentions, the app's marketing often emphasizes a human-centered notion of agency, focusing on how the app can 'fix' or 'improve' the user.

Toca Boca's Approach

In contrast, Toca Boca's apps, while not specifically designed for children with autism, have been widely adopted by the autism community. These apps promote open-ended play and creativity, allowing users to explore and interact in ways that suit their individual needs. The popularity of Toca Boca's apps highlights the importance of design that accommodates diverse ways of thinking and engaging with the world.

Hacking Agency

The concept of hacking agency involves rethinking traditional notions of agency to include a broader range of actors and interactions. In the context of neurodiversity and technology, this means recognizing that agency is not solely located within the user or the technology but is distributed across the interaction between them.

Critiques and Challenges

Critics argue that traditional disability narratives often frame neurodivergent individuals as lacking agency or needing to be 'fixed.' This perspective can lead to the development of technologies that prioritize normalization over empowerment. By contrast, a hacking approach emphasizes the importance of designing technologies that recognize and support the diverse ways in which neurodivergent individuals engage with the world.

Practical Implications

For technology developers and designers, this means creating apps that are flexible and adaptable, allowing users to tailor their interactions to their unique needs. It also involves involving neurodivergent individuals in the design process to ensure that their voices and experiences shape the technology.

Case Studies

Comparing Samsung's Look At Me app with Toca Boca's suite of apps illustrates the importance of design philosophy. While Samsung's app focuses on specific outcomes, such as improved eye contact, Toca Boca's apps emphasize open-ended interaction and creativity. Both approaches have their merits, but Toca Boca's popularity within the autism community suggests a preference for flexible, user-centered design.

Community Involvement

The success of Toca Boca's apps also underscores the value of community involvement in the development process. By engaging with neurodivergent individuals and their families, developers can create more effective and meaningful technologies.

Hacking Agency

Expanding the notion of agency to include a network of human and nonhuman actors is essential for designing effective technologies for neurodivergent individuals. By adopting a hacking approach to agency, developers can create apps that empower users, recognizing and supporting the diverse ways in which they engage with the world.

Understanding and embracing this broader perspective of agency is not only a theoretical exercise but has practical implications for the design and development of technologies that truly support neurodivergent individuals. As we continue to explore the intersection of technology and neurodiversity, it is crucial to prioritize flexibility, inclusivity, and community involvement to create empowering and effective tools.

References

1. “Hacking Autism—Using Technology to Give People with Autism a Voice,” Autism Speaks, July 25, 2012. Autism Speaks.
2. Andrew Keen CNN special to, “Miss Montana: How Apps Can Help Hack Autism - CNN.com,” CNN, accessed April 12, 2016. CNN.
3. T.S. Sathyanarayana Rao and Chittaranjan Andrade, “The MMR Vaccine and Autism: Sensation, Refutation, Retraction, and Fraud,” Indian Journal of Psychiatry 53, no. 2 (2011): 95. DOI:10.4103/0019-5545.82529.
4. “Finding Good Apps for Children With Autism,” Gadgetwise Blog, accessed May 6, 2015. New York Times.
5. Kimberly Elmore, “Embracing Interdependence: Technology Developers, Autistic Users, and Technical Communicators,” in Rhetorical Accessibility: At the Intersection of Technical Communication and Disability Studies, ed. Lia Meloncon (Amityville, NY: Baywood Publishing Company, 2013), 26.
6. Deborah Lupton, “Apps as Artefacts: Towards a Critical Perspective on Mobile Health and Medical Apps,” Societies 4, no. 4 (October 29, 2014): 610.

By incorporating a hacking approach to agency, we can move beyond simplistic and human-centered notions of agency, creating technologies that truly empower neurodivergent individuals and enhance their interaction with the world.