ASE 2025
Sun 16 - Thu 20 November 2025 Seoul, South Korea

This program is tentative and subject to change.

Tue 18 Nov 2025 16:30 - 16:40 at Grand Hall 3 - Human and Social Aspects 2

Equity, diversity, and inclusion in software engineering often overlook neurodiversity, particularly the experiences of developers with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Despite the growing awareness about that population in SE, few tools are designed to support their cognitive challenges (e.g., sustained attention, task initiation, self-regulation) within development workflows. We present Tether, an LLM-powered desktop application designed to support software engineers with ADHD by delivering adaptive, context-aware assistance. Drawing from engineering research methodology, Tether combines local activity monitoring, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and gamification to offer real-time focus support and personalized dialogue. The system integrates operating system level system tracking to prompt engagement and its chatbot leverages ADHD-specific resources to offer relevant responses. Preliminary validation through self-use revealed improved contextual accuracy following iterative prompt refinements and RAG enhancements. Tether differentiates itself from generic tools by being adaptable and aligned with software-specific workflows and ADHD-related challenges. While not yet evaluated by target users, this work lays the foundation for future neurodiversity-aware tools in SE and highlights the potential of LLMs as personalized support systems for underrepresented cognitive needs.

This program is tentative and subject to change.

Tue 18 Nov

Displayed time zone: Seoul change

16:00 - 16:50
Human and Social Aspects 2NIER Track / Industry Showcase at Grand Hall 3
16:00
10m
Talk
The Future of Software Transparency: Bridging Understanding, Measurement, and Practice
NIER Track
Gregorio Dalia University of Sannio, Annibale Panichella Delft University of Technology, Andrea Di Sorbo University of Sannio, Gerardo Canfora University of Sannio, Corrado A. Visaggio University of Sannio, Italy
16:10
10m
Talk
CodeACT-R: A Cognitive Simulation Framework for Human Attention in Code Reading
NIER Track
Yueke Zhang Vanderbilt University, Zihan Fang Vanderbilt University, Greg Trafton Naval Research Laboratory, Daniel Levin Vanderbilt University, Kevin Leach Vanderbilt University, Yu Huang Vanderbilt University
16:20
10m
Talk
Towards Reliable LLM-based Exam Generation. Lessons Learned and Open Challenges in an Industrial Project
Industry Showcase
Renzo Degiovanni Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Jordi Cabot Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
16:30
10m
Talk
Tether: A Personalized Support Assistant for Software Engineers with ADHD
NIER Track
Aarsh Shah University of Calgary, Cleyton Magalhaes Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Kiev Gama Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Ronnie de Souza Santos University of Calgary
16:40
10m
Talk
Autonomous Agents for Accessibility: Simulating Visual Impairments in Web Interfaces
NIER Track
Juan Diego Yepes-Parra Universidad de los Andes, Colombia, Camilo Escobar-Velásquez Universidad de los Andes, Colombia