Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
[STK]
[IN] HEA CPR STW MNH
[SU] CHI
-- WITH PHOTO -- TO BUSINESS, HEALTH, AND TECHNOLOGY EDITORS:
Amazing Technology Animates Photos, Helping Kids with Autism Learn to
Speak
MARTINEZ, Calif., April 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- How can using
3D-animated avatars help improve communication? Read more and find
out!
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140409/PH01792-a )
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140409/PH01792-b )
Communication challenges are at the core of autism spectrum disorder
(ASD). To tackle this challenge, iTherapy used the expertise of
speech-language pathologists to design a communication app that is
tailored to children and individuals with autism.
The most powerful aspect of InnerVoice App is the avatar-mediated
communicative interaction, which allows users to see themselves
speaking. Watching oneself perform speech movements can stimulate key
neurological structures that enable imitation. Research shows that
video self-modeling is an effective way to teach skills to people with
autism -- possibly because it stimulates these structures called
mirror neurons. Mirror neurons are key to learning pretty much any
motor activity, including speech development. When users communicate
with InnerVoice, they see themselves speaking clearly -- while, at the
same time, being engaged.
Research shows that engagement is crucial to learning. When children
on the spectrum learn -- they need to be engaged, but the trick is to
find a way to make learning fun. Speech, for example, is a motoric
activity that requires a lot of practice and repetition to master:
this can be frustrating. And frustration interferes with learning. On
the other hand, engagement activates reward centers in the brain, such
as the dorsal striatum, which play crucial roles in learning.
InnerVoice seeks to stimulate mirror neuron and dorsal striatum
activity: the combination of which encourages imitation, increases
engagement, and stimulates communication behaviors.
-- "I've always had difficulty getting students on the spectrum to use
their AAC systems. Using the 3D avatars, the puppy is the favorite,
my students actually have fun communicating.... communication is
supposed to be fun!"
In addition to 3D animated avatars, InnerVoice introduces a new level
of prompting -- Remote Prompting (RP). InnerVoice is the first to
incorporate RP as a technique to support communication and the
acquisition of skills for individuals on the spectrum.
This technique allows learners to receive a prompt on their mobile
device that guides them to the correct response. Using InnerVoice,
prompts are sent via Bluetooth from the educator's device to the
user's iPad to ensure the child will perform the correct skill in a
natural environment and reduce the probability of errors and
frustration.
-- "Most importantly, remote prompting reduces confusing verbal
explanations that interfere with learning complex
communication-related concepts," said Matthew Guggemos, M.S. CCC-SLP,
speech-language pathologist, co-developer, and winner of the 2013
Mensa Intellectual Benefits to Society Award.
From another perspective, though, InnerVoice's animated avatars serve
as electronic diplomats -- which pique the interest of people with
autism and, thus, stimulate dialogue between neurotypical and children
with autism.
-- "'Kudos to you for InnerVoice and [for introducing] a different
paradigm for AAC apps! About time someone 'broke the mold,'" writes RJ
Cooper developer of software and hardware products for persons with
special needs.
For more information - www.innervoiceapp.com
Contact: Matthew Guggemos: Email Lois Jean Brady: Email / 925 812 0037
Read more news from InnerVoice.
SOURCE InnerVoice
-0- 04/09/2014
/Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140409/PH01792-a
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140409/PH01792-b
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
/Web Site: http://www.innervoiceapp.com
CO: InnerVoice
ST: California
IN: HEA CPR STW MNH
SU: CHI
PRN
-- PH01792 --
0000 04/09/2014 15:40:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
