Literature Reviews

Reviewed research papers, articles, and publications relevant to digital accessibility.

• ATTENPlay: A Game-Based Attention Network Test for Autistic Children

  Yuying Wan, Xin Tong, Kaishun Wu (2026) — Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper addresses a long-standing methodological problem in autism research: the Attention Network Test (ANT) — the standard computerized tool for measuring alerting, orienting, and executive-control attention networks — is abstract, repe…

  • autism
  • autism spectrum disorder
  • attention network test
  • cognitive assessment
  • game-based assessment
  • serious games
  • tablet
  • co-design
  • inclusive design
  • child development
  • executive function
  • double empathy problem
  • pediatric
  • mobile accessibility

• Autism/Excel Study

  Mary Hart (2005) — Proceedings of the 7th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '05)

  This study investigates whether high school students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can learn Microsoft Excel at a level comparable to a regular education computing class, and whether the structured spreadsheet environment might support developm…

  • autism spectrum disorder
  • education
  • cognitive accessibility
  • adapted curriculum
  • executive function
  • generative thinking
  • inclusive education
  • digital literacy
  • learning disabilities

• Computer-Based Cognitive Prosthetics: Assistive Technology for the Treatment of Cognitive Disabilities

  Elliot Cole, Parto Dehdashti (1998) — Proceedings of the Third International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '98)

  This paper presents over a decade of research and clinical work from the Institute for Cognitive Prosthetics on designing computer-based cognitive prosthetic (CBCP) systems for individuals with acquired cognitive disabilities from traumatic brain inj…

  • cognitive disability
  • cognitive prosthetic
  • traumatic brain injury
  • stroke recovery
  • brain injury rehabilitation
  • participatory design
  • assistive technology
  • executive function
  • cognitive rehabilitation

• MetaCogs: Mitigating Executive Dysfunction via Agent-based Modeling for Metacognitive Strategy Development

  Rua M. Williams, Kiana Alikhademi, Imani N. S. Munyaka, Juan E. Gilbert (2022) — ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study presents MetaCogs, a virtual reality experience designed to teach metacognitive strategies for managing executive dysfunction. Rather than targeting autistic or ADHD individuals as populations needing "intervention," the research centers a…

  • executive function
  • metacognition
  • autism
  • ADHD
  • virtual reality
  • cognitive accessibility
  • neurodivergence
  • agent-based modeling
  • self-regulated learning

• "It Was Something I Naturally Found Worked and Heard About Later": An Investigation of Body Doubling with Neurodivergent Participants

  Tessa Eagle, Kathryn E. Ringland (2024) — ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study investigates body doubling—using the presence of others to initiate, maintain focus on, or complete tasks—as a community-driven practice among neurodivergent individuals. The researchers conducted an online survey of 220 participants (193 …

  • neurodivergence
  • ADHD
  • autism
  • executive function
  • task management
  • community-driven research
  • self-accommodation
  • survey research

• Digital Independence Linked to Functional Independence among Adults with Intellectual Disability

  Theja Kuruppu Arachchi, Laurianne Sitbon, Jinglan Zhang, Stewart Koplick, Maria Hoogstrate, Margot Brereton (2025) — ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study investigates the relationship between digital independence (the ability to access and use digital technologies for information) and functional independence (the ability to perform daily living tasks) among adults with intellectual disabili…

  • intellectual disability
  • executive function
  • digital independence
  • functional independence
  • health information seeking
  • cluster analysis
  • inclusive design
  • user profiling

• FocusUp: A Browser Extension for Enhancing Online Attention and Productivity for ADHD Individuals

  Wajdi Aljedaani, Weston Leonard, Hector Ruiz, Adrian Wegener (2025) — Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This technical note presents FocusUp, a Chrome browser extension designed to help individuals with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) maintain focus and improve productivity while browsing the web. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition …

  • ADHD
  • cognitive accessibility
  • browser extension
  • task management
  • executive function
  • productivity
  • attention

• Beyond Individual Accommodations: The Collaborative Practices of ADHD Students in Post-Secondary Education

  Vitica X Arnold, Aehong Min, Clarisse Bonang, Sohyeon Park, Gillian R Hayes, Anne Marie Piper (2025) — ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper examines how ADHD college students develop and share collaborative, community-based strategies to support their academic success, moving beyond the traditional focus on individual accommodations. The researchers analyzed discussions from a…

  • ADHD
  • neurodivergence
  • higher education
  • body doubling
  • co-presence
  • collaborative support
  • online communities
  • academic accommodations
  • executive function

• Navigating STEM Doctoral Programs with ADHD: Barriers, Workflow Challenges, and Adaptive Strategies

  Paul Ezeamii, Kristen Shinohara (2025) — ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates how PhD students with ADHD navigate the structural barriers of STEM doctoral programs through a mixed-methods study with 13 participants. The research addresses a significant gap: while the 2023 Survey of Earned Doctorates rep…

  • ADHD
  • neurodiversity
  • cognitive accessibility
  • graduate education
  • executive function
  • disability disclosure
  • accommodation
  • assistive technology
  • invisible disability

• Rethinking Productivity with GenAI: A Neurodivergent Students' Perspective

  Hira Jamshed, Mustafa Naseem, Venkatesh Potluri, Robin N. Brewer (2025) — Proceedings of the 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '25)

  This qualitative study examines how 19 neurodivergent university students (including those with ADHD, autism, OCD, dysgraphia, and auditory processing disorder) use LLM-based generative AI tools like ChatGPT in their academic work. Through semi-struc…

  • neurodiversity
  • generative AI
  • cognitive accessibility
  • higher education
  • disability studies
  • qualitative research
  • crip time
  • executive function