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For children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), connecting with others and interpreting social cues can be enormously challenging. ASD describes a collection of neurodevelopmental disorders relating to communication difficulties and characterized by repetitive behaviors, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
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ASD typically manifests in infancy or early childhood and occurs across ethnic groups, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that it affects approximately 1 in 68 children. Its causes are unknown, though genetics, parental age and exposure to certain pesticides and pharmaceuticals have been suspected to increase a baby's risk of being born with ASD.
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"To see progress, they are required to do the same thing for a long time," de Toldi said. "Always doing the same thing can be hard for a parent or caregiver — but Leka will do the same thing every single time."
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By reliably performing the same actions over and over, a robotic companion like Leka provides the child with a sense of safety, de Toldi explained.
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People with autism struggle to handle a variety of stimuli all being thrown at them at once, and without an upbringing that introduces them to each stimulus to help them adjust to it, life can seem pretty hectic and daunting to them.
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So what does Leka do? On the surface it provides fun and educational games for the kids, but it does so much more by sensing the interaction it’s having with the child and reacting accordingly to help the child learn social cues and develop autonomy.
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For example, if Leka is mistreated and thrown to the ground in frustration or anger, it gets sad, which can be seen on its screen because it has different faces, and turns red because that color is typically associated with sadness.
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In response, the child will learn that this behavior of throwing toys and mistreating others is not acceptable and can result in sadness or being hurt. The responses are all pre-programmed and predictable so that the child can get used to the reactions and feel safe in knowing how their actions will affect others.
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Read More: www.trueactivist.com...
originally posted by: Byrd
A wonderful use of robotics! I know that dogs are also used, but you really need to find the right dog for the right person. Robots, on the other hand, can be endlessly tailored.
originally posted by: Annee
Interesting.
ASD is what I'm dealing with, with my grandson.
He's been in behavior modification since age 3.
I wonder if this would still be good for an 8 year old.
originally posted by: BO XIAN
Please keep us posted, if you get one.
And the best of growth, health, wholeness and interactive successes with your grandson. Cheers.
originally posted by: Annee
originally posted by: BO XIAN
Please keep us posted, if you get one.
And the best of growth, health, wholeness and interactive successes with your grandson. Cheers.
He's a pretty mild case IMO - - not that I'm an expert. We were in denial cuz he seemed completely normal to us.
It was first recognized by his preschool teacher before he was 2 years old.
I am very thankful I listened to the teachers and school, even though I fought them a bit. They were right and I was wrong.
originally posted by: BO XIAN
It may well be, Grandma, that you and your person and skills would be of more value to him than the robot.
originally posted by: Annee
. . .
He's graduated out of behavior modification. He repeated kindergarten to give him another year of maturity.
Right now, he's still in "language". He still can't do a 4 turn talking exchange on a subject that's not his choice. He still tends to slide into "his" world.