Teresa Condeço

Bio: Teresa Condeço is an academic researcher from AmeriCorps VISTA. The author has contributed to research in topics: Promotion (rank). The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 6 publications receiving 7 citations.

Using Games for the Phonetics Awareness of Children with Down Syndrome

Abstract: Computers and technology can play a key role in supporting learning, namely for students with special educational needs. Nevertheless, despite the emphasis the society puts on the use of technology and its fast proliferation in the area of education, few initiatives focus on the specific needs of children with disabilities. Motivated by this gap, this research work proposes a computer assisted education application that targets to teach talking and reading through games. The work described herein was carried out in close cooperation with Centro Diferencas - Centro de Desenvolvimento Infantil, a child-care institution that works with children with distinct growth disorders, namely the Down syndrome.

Signs Workshop: The Importance of Natural Gestures in the Promotion of Early Communication Skills of Children with Developmental Disabilities

Abstract: This article emphasises the importance of natural gestures and describes the framework and the development process of the "Signs Workshop" CD-ROM, which is a multimedia application for the promotion of early communication skills of children with developmental disabilities. Signs Workshop CD-ROM was created in the scope of Down's Comm Project, which was financed by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, and is the result of a partnership between UNICA (Communication and Arts Research Unit of the University of Aveiro) and the Portuguese Down Syndrome Association (APPT21/Differences).

Oficina dos gestos: promoção das competências comunicativas precoces das crianças com défice cognitivo

Abstract: No presente artigo procede-se a uma apresentacao e descricao do âmbito e do processo de desenvolvimento do CDROM “Oficina dos Gestos, Aplicacao Multimedia para a promocao das competencias comunicativas precoces das criancas com defice cognitivo” O CDROM “Oficina dos Gestos” foi desenvolvido no decurso do Projecto Down’s Comm, financiado pela Fundacao Calouste Gulbenkian e fruto de uma parceria entre a Unidade de Investigacao em Comunicacao e Arte (UnICA), da Universidade de Aveiro e a Associacao Portuguesa de Portadores de Trissomia 21 / Diferencas (APPT21)

Discrimination and Comprehension of Synthetic Speech by Students with Visual Impairments: The Case of Similar Acoustic Patterns.

Abstract: This study examined the perceptions held by sighted students and students with visual impairments of the intelligibility and comprehensibility of similar acoustic patterns produced by synthetic spe

Educative Game to Promote Phonological Awareness in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Abstract: This paper presents an educative game to support the reading learning process through the stimulation of the phonological awareness in children with developmental disorders The linguistic exercises are performed in the context of a fantasy world, in order to promote a playful phonetic learning The objective of this serious game is to identify, in different words, in which syllable is a determined sound The adventure finishes when the player completes the several levels for whole of the alphabetic letters The performance of each user is recorded into a database, which enables the therapist to monitor the patient's progress and detect his/her main difficulties Tests in users show that the application software is well balanced in terms of complexity Moreover, results suggest that the tool can make a right discrimination between individuals with and without special needs

Using Serious Games to Correct French Dictations: Proposal for a New Unity3D/NooJ Connector

Abstract: The remarkable growth in serious games use has gradually pushed them to be present in every single domain. However, in language learning we did not find any reliable games developed for dictation exercises, commonly used for the teaching of French. This involves natural language processing in the form of an interactive game that can automatically generate corrections and assess game users. In order to fill this research gap, we propose to take advantage of the assets provided by the NooJ platform and develop a game combining NooJ and the 3D game platform Unity3D.