Children
with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can have difficulty with basic social
interactions, such as making eye contact, saying hello, or even deciphering
what a smile or frown means. But thanks to a Dallas-based company, they can now
add another member to their team at school who can help them learn, understand,
and practice appropriate social behavior and build confidence in their skills. His
name is Milo and he’s two feet tall with spiky brown hair and a superhero-style
uniform.
He’s
also a robot.
Milo’s
face is covered with Frubber, a soft synthetic skin that’s pliant enough to
replicate human expressions. Two versions are available: a walking, gesturing Milo
and a less-expensive model with the same expressive head but a static body. Created
by RoboKind, Milo models facial expressions, speaks—slowly, to help students
process what he’s saying more easily—and displays symbols on a chest screen with
cues from a tablet-equipped educator who lets Milo know when a child has responded
correctly.
Since
last fall, RoboKind has been partnering with the Autism Society of America on Robots4Autism, a
nationwide school grant program to integrate curriculum delivered by Milo for
children ages 5-17. The grants allow interested schools to complete the
purchase of their own Milo.
It’s
recommended that children spend 30-60 minutes with Milo and an instructor or
therapist at least three times per week. One of Milo’s big advantages is that
he can teach the same skills over and over with the positive consistency that autistic
children need. He never gets tired or frustrated or impatient.
