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ICTs for Children with Mental Challenges Arun Mehta arunhta@gmail skid

ICTs for Children with Mental Challenges Arun Mehta arun.mehta@gmail.com skid.org.in. Professor Stephen Hawking can only press one button.

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ICTs for Children with Mental Challenges Arun Mehta arunhta@gmail skid

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  1. ICTs for Children with Mental Challenges Arun Mehta arun.mehta@gmail.com skid.org.in

  2. Professor Stephen Hawking can only press one button....

  3. “I am quite often asked: How do you feel about having ALS. The answer is, not a lot. I try to lead as normal a life as possible, and not think about my condition, or regret the things it prevents me from doing, which are not that many.” -Prof. Stephen Hawking http://www.hawking.org.uk/text/disable/disable.html

  4. Wasted Talent ”When I was four, there was an elevator operator in the school...He ridiculed me with nasty jokes. My total lack of communication worsened the situation...The ridicule hurt all the more because I could neither stop his behavior nor offer a retort.” -- Krishna Narayanan, 2003 

  5. Communications and Disability • All persons with disabilities have serious communication issues • In the case of autism, the inability to communicate is the primary problem • Communication problems often deny the disabled an education, healthcare... • Hence the need to address the communication needs of the disabled early, and a role for computers

  6. Communication Disability • An inability to communicate makes disability far worse • Mental disabilities strike early in life: if we could find a way for the child to communicate, she could go to regular school, instead of compounding her disability with illiteracy • Children with autism – like other kids – love computers. A computer is an excellent communications device: so why don't they communicate through computers/phones?

  7. Computer-relevant problems of children with neurological conditions • A result of brain damage in early life? • Sensory issues: Some senses may be extra sensitive, so that the glare of the monitor, or even the touch of the keyboard or mouse is painful (diet helps)‏ • Problems in coordination among different parts of the brain • Each child is different

  8. Problems relating to software • the variety of disabilities, their combinations and varying severities indicate that we need different software for each child • also, the software must grow with the child, and be able to handle multiple languages • It must be able to do all the different things people do with computers

  9. Desired mobile phone Input • Keyboards with large and fewer keys • Joystick/wheel • Touchscreen • Wireless Input, e.g. Nintendo Wii • Eye gaze tracking, similar to how they communicate now • Direct input from the brain

  10. Desired mobile phone Output • Tactile feedback • Text to speech • FM transmitter • TV  transmitter

  11. Desired mobile phone Networking • Spontaneous mesh networking, as in cybiko, olsr, olpc...  • better use of the USB port  for sticks, printers, and I/O devices of all kinds,   •  Allow phone to act as WiFi access point or client • Address special relationship between a mentally challenged child and her caregiver: allow remote use of camera, mike, speaker by caregiver

  12. Desired mobile phone User Interface properties • Make user interface totally customizable • Use new  languages  Python, php, Ruby on Rails • Expose underlying hardware as much as possible to the interface designer

  13. Introducing skid... • The Platform: skid.org.in hosts modules written in Ruby on Rails, that work with 4 inputs: Up, Down, Yes, No • http://rubypython.svnrepository.com/svn/skid has the source code (gpl)‏ • modules exist for writing, spelling, picture browsing, wikipedia access, mailing, playing... • in the pipeline, photo editing, chat...

  14. Salient Features of skid.org.in • FREE, available on the internet • NO downloading, NO installation • Can be used from a mobile phone equipped with web • ACCEPT input from a lot of devices • MODULEbased • OPEN SOURCE software • FACILITY for enhancement in future

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