Аутизм: Общение 1.5

ANO "Center for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Children Our Sunny World," a leading organization in providing professional assistance to children with autism in the Russian Federation, announces the release of a new version of the unique free communication application "Autism: Communication."

The first version of the "Autism: Communication" communicator, created by specialists at the Center in 2012, was the world's first such application in Russian, designed to help children with autism learn to communicate with others and develop spontaneous speech skills. The application was developed with the expertise of the leading behavior analysis specialist, Julia Mikhailovna Ertz.

The new version, while retaining all the functionality of its predecessor, has gained new unique features. Now, parents or specialists can use not only the standard set of cards for communication with non-speaking children but also add their own cards created individually. This functionality allows the application to be used not only for non-speaking children with autism and other developmental disorders but also for any other individuals who are unable to speak, such as children and adults with cerebral palsy, adults with consequences of injuries and strokes, and elderly individuals.

The new version of the application was created with financial support from the Foundation for Historical and Cultural Research Support "Roots."

• The application includes:
  • A card gallery containing over 150 high-quality images that children learn to distinguish, name, and relate to various categories (such as animals, letters, numbers, shapes, colors, etc.). The ability to distinguish and name objects also contributes to the development of speech skills in children with autism and other developmental disorders. Parents and specialists can add their own cards (photograph and voice-over), using objects and items in their dialogue with the child that are specifically tailored to their needs (father, mother, clinic, kindergarten, etc.).
  • A communicator through which the child can both indicate desired items and form complete sentences or requests. Auditory support enables the child to vocalize their own desires and provides opportunities for repetition and speech imitation. Developed based on years of experience by specialists from the Center for Rehabilitation of Disabled Children Our Sunny World, this guide is suitable for efficient education of children with autism, Down syndrome, alalia, and other disorders accompanied by speech development difficulties. The application can also be used as a developmental aid during activities with typical younger children.
  • Special functionality in the application allows for creating communicative voice-over cards for adults and elderly individuals with speech impairments. Examples include "walker," "cup," "medications," "I feel unwell," "I want to call my daughter," etc. Users can create voice-over cards for any words as needed.

The main goal of this application is to aid communication for people who cannot speak for themselves.

Key project expert - Igor Leonidovich Shpitsberg. Founder and Head of ANO "Center for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Children Our Sunny World" (since 1991), Member of the Board Autism Europe's Council of Administration, Member of the Expert Council of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation on comprehensive support for children with autism spectrum disorders, Member of the Board of VORDI - All-Russian Organization of Parents of Disabled Children, Member of the Board of MGARDI - Moscow City Association of Parents of Disabled Children, Member of the Coordinating Council on Affairs of Disabled Children and other Persons with Disabilities under the Public Chamber of Russia.

Since 1991, actively involved in developing and improving rehabilitation methods for children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). Author of correction techniques for sensory system features development in children with autistic spectrum disorders.