Robo-teachers are proving a hi-tech tool to boost the attention levels of autistic children, researchers at a UAE university have found.
Academics at the UAEU College of Information Technology in Al Ain have discovered that harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) can aid development as children "pay more attention to a robot" than a human.
Researchers found that children on the autism spectrum responded better to simple instructions offered by robots, but their learning was often "inhibited' when presented with more complex ideas by a human face.
The university team used a specific kind of testing with robots, introducing children to different screen characters, such as a face with small ears, no hair, large eyes and a small nose and mouth to gauge their response.
“If you present complex behaviours to an autistic child, they won’t accept it and try to avoid eye contact,” said Dr Fady Al Najjar, assistant professor at the college.
“This inhibits their learning so we have tried to solve that by introducing a robot with limited behaviours and physical complexities.
“Kids pay more attention to the robot, than the human interaction.
“Our idea is to present a robot to the child, with a doctor adding commands behind the scenes. That enables us to control how much information the robot is passing on to the child from the doctor or teacher.”
Attention span is critical to learning, and although some autistic children find it difficult to focus for long periods, when the simplified robot instruction were used, attention levels increased.
The university is now trying to build an artificial Intelligence interaction between robot and child, so the machine can learn what commands are increasing the attentiveness and response from the child.
As this develops within a few months, it should reduce the need for input from doctors, so they can monitor results, rather than input commands to stimulate and increase a child’s attention.
In schools in America, teachers are discovering robots can help teach science, technology, engineering and mathematics concepts to children with autism because of their physical nature and consistent behaviour.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina are using Bee-Bot floor robots to interact with children, working with them to solve problems in order to move forward on a grid.
The Sphero robot, a white orb, teaches the scientific principles of movement by rolling through a maze, as children add weights to a chariot to enhance friction.
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“In combinations with human therapists and teachers, robots can help children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in moving from being withdrawn and isolated to laughing, dancing, and singing,” said Silvia Vianello, director of innovation at the S P Jain School of Global Management, Dubai.
“Robots help them in holding eye contact and sustaining more complex social interactions, maintaining self-control and self-regulation when distressed, or over-stimulated.”
She said robots should complement rather than replace human interaction.
“Human teachers should not be replaced by robots, instead robots should enhance humans using the support of technology.
“A robot engages each child and delivers research-based curriculum that helps develop understanding, practice and application of each concept.
“With the most advanced robots, it is possible to select individual lesson options in the preferred order.”
Multi-sensory data collected from robot interactions with ASD children can be used to create a greater understanding of the condition and how it impacts child development.
By 2030, the World Economic Forum expects education to be one of the eight areas of human activity where AI will have the greatest growth and influence.
Despite that prediction, special needs experts claim human interaction will remain crucial to a child’s healthy development.
“Using robots in education with autistic children could be beneficial, as it may help provide a stable, positive environment and create constancy to enhance routines and support learning,” said Marie Byrne, a special needs teaching co-ordinator in Dubai.
“All children like to feel valued and respond well to emotionally stable environments and positive relationships with their peers and adults.
“Children with autism need this more acutely as they are often easily overwhelmed by sudden change or unexpected responses from others.”
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● No of employees: Nine
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Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Coady, Marc Guehi, Reece James, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Ben White
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Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
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Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
World ranking (at month’s end)
Jan - 257
Feb - 198
Mar - 159
Apr - 161
May - 159
Jun – 162
Currently: 88
Year-end rank since turning pro
2016 - 279
2015 - 185
2014 - 143
2013 - 63
2012 - 384
2011 - 883
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The biog
Name: Timothy Husband
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Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
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What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Watch live
The National will broadcast live from the IMF on Friday October 13 at 7pm UAE time (3pm GMT) as our Editor-in-Chief Mina Al-Oraibi moderates a panel on how technology can help growth in MENA.
You can find out more here
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Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Brief scores:
Juventus 3
Dybala 6', Bonucci 17', Ronaldo 63'
Frosinone 0
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