Learn about the latest technology for autism?

Learn about the latest technology for autism?

Autism is a lifelong developmental condition characterized by difficulties with language and social interaction, and a tendency to repetitive behaviours. It is a spectrum condition, meaning that its symptoms and their severity vary widely from one individual to another. Those with autism range from high performers, such as normal and television host Chris Buckman, through to people who are profoundly handicapped, precluding the possibility of an independent life.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the prevalence of autism is 1 in 59 children, with nearly five times more males being diagnosed than females. In the UK, the rate is thought to be close to 1 in 100.

fight or flight
It has been shown that many people with autism process sensory information differently — to the point that certain sensations, even loud sounds, can cause pain.

Frustration caused by not being able to communicate the dilemma of others, or to regulate the resulting emotional distress, can lead to intense anxiety, colloquially known as a meltdown. It's not a rip and it's not a tantrum. It is a reaction to a state of extreme distress - the same turmoil that you or I might face if our lives were in danger.

So imagine if caregivers could receive a notification to their cell phone the moment a child's anxiety levels start to rise. Researchers at Northeastern University, Maine Medical Center, and the University of Pittsburgh are developing such a system. It works using a wrist strap, like a sports watch, that monitors bio-data (which literally means "body measurements") - specifically, the wearer's heartbeat, skin temperature, sweat levels and acceleration. The latter is important in people with autism, who often flutter their arms as a way to regulate themselves emotionally.

The wristband is being tested in a residential care facility for people with autism. Video and audio monitoring equipment has also been installed at the facility, as well as devices for recording light levels, ambient temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure.

The hope is that all of this additional data will not only help anticipate breakdowns, but also help understand how an autistic person's immediate environment may exacerbate their condition. This can help architects design new residential homes designed specifically for people on the autism spectrum, and consider the needs of the autistic individual when designing other buildings, such as stores and cinemas.

In the coming years, this technology may combine with the Internet of Things to enable automated safeguards in the care of those on the autism spectrum. For people on this spectrum — who may lack the language skills to express how they feel or are vulnerable a lot — the benefits may be even more profound.