The
new applications provide a ‘gamified’ environment that allows autistic children
to engage with the outside world better
Google Glass —
an eye-wearable device that made headlines in 2015 but failed in the consumer
technology space — has now rekindled the hopes of people with autism spectrum
disorder (ASD) globally, including in India. Although no official numbers are
available, at least 70 million people have autism worldwide, including over 10
million in India.
According to
\Ned Sahin, founder and CEO of Brain Power, a US-based science-driven company,
Augmented Reality (AR)-powered wearable computers can help those with ASD gain
confidence, clarity, understanding, social integration and self-sufficiency.
Tech imperative
There is no cure
for autism but early diagnosis and intervention with therapies does improve the
long-term outcome. “I am open to collaboration if there is an interest from
schools, organisations and families from India. We can customise our Google
Glass-based applications for autistic people in India,” says Sahin.
Brain Power is
currently working with several schools in the US. The ‘Empower Me’ wearable
system has been used by hundreds of children and adults on the autism spectrum.
In this
technology, the child or adult wears light, computerised glasses and sees and
hears special feedback geared to the situation — like digital coaching on
facial expressions of emotions, when to look at people, feedback on the user’s
state of stress or anxiety.
Coaching life
skills
“The apps also
encourage them to make eye contact and control repetitive behaviours — both of
which are big challenges related to autism,” says Sahin, a neuroscientist who
studied at Harvard and MIT.
According to
him, contrary to what most of the people think, kids treat wearable devices as
fun and are facing no problem using them. “We have discovered scientifically
that people with autism enjoy using wearable devices and embedded software for
socio-emotional learning,” says Sahin.
