Today, as Behavioral Health Services are advancing, technology is contributing towards the field of developmental disorders too.
Now, autistic children can learn to read facial expressions by using a smartphone app that runs on Google Glass. According to researchers who conducted a pilot study, this app gives real time cues about other people’s facial expressions.
After the regular use of 1-3 months, parents reported that children with autism made more eye contact. Also, children related better to others, through the use of Superpower Glass developed by a team from Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California. This study was published online in NPJ Digital Medicine.
This device has “smart” glasses that are equipped with a camera to record the child’s field of view. To give the child visual and audio information, it has a small screen and a speaker.
When the child begins to interact with others, the app will identify and name their emotions through the Google Glass speaker or screen. Its designed to be used in the child’s natural environment as they interact with friends and family.
This app recognizes core facial expressions: happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, surprise, fear, neutral expression, and contempt.