Materials and Methods

The methodology of this project is based on the steps bellow:

1. building suitable models in order to obtain and to treat relevant information about the system scope;
2. research about alternative solutions;
3. development of models based on the alternative solutions and performance analyses of these models, in order to choose the best according to the situation in study.

In order to reach the goal of developing a Multimedia System to Explain Down’s Syndrome, the project follows the steps bellow:

1. A research about the scope of the system: examination, evaluation of the genetic code, use of X Ray, basic characteristics of Down’s Syndrome, clinic manifestation, psychic manifestation, genetic characteristics, life expectation, communication disturbance, the phonotherapy of bearer child, nutrition stages, diagnoses presentation [6], [7].

2. Application of a questionnaire to verify the knowledge degree of the officials and volunteers that work in APAE’s in relation to the variety of attendance that a bearer child can have. The questionnaires’ results determine which kind of attendance and which treatment methods will be explored by the system.

3. Revision of tools and languages available in the market to develop multimedia systems: study and analysis of computational tools of high performance that can be used in this project [8], [9].

4. Study and elaboration of two database that will be connected to the multimedia system. One of these database is responsible to present a variety of cases about people that bear Down’s Syndrome. It will contain information about: sex, age, medical history, physical description, citogenetic studies, diagnosis, prognostics and treatment. The other database will have information about Brazilian Legislation related to Down’s Syndrome bearer [10].

5. Establishment of the ergonomic criteria that will be used in the system .The ergonomic criteria have to be well defined in order to develop user-friendly interface, because the future users (officials and volunteers working in APAE’s) don’t know very well how to use a computer [11], [12], [13].

6. Development of the system prototype.

7. Evaluation of the prototype: this phase refers to the application of the prototype like a tool to the user’s community in order to evaluate the performance and effects of the multimedia system.

8. Implementation of the system: after the prototype evaluation, the conclusions will help in the system implementation.