IN a classroom at the National Autism Society of Malaysia (Nasom) in Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur, an autistic student is imitating the actions of a child-sized robot in front of him. When the robot, named NAO, lifts its right arm, the student follows suit and so on.
This behaviour is totally the opposite of an autistic student in a regular classroom setting, which shows that under certain circumstances (in this case, the presence of a robot), autistic children can respond to whats in front of them. This helps in their learning process. The students also mimic what the robot says and respond to its movements.
Dr Hanafiah Yussof, a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Universiti Teknologi Mara, is trying to introduce the use of robots in the rehabilitation process of ASD patients in the local Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) rehabilitation initiative.
He says one of the challenges in the rehabilitation of autistic children is getting them to concentrate in class.
On one hand, says Hanafiah, autistic children may possess an apparent deficiency in social and communications and be mentally challenged, but on the other hand, they may have the ability to do math and writing. But they are unable to hold eye contact or participate in conversations.
Based on a 2004 study by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, one in 600 children in the country is diagnosed with autism, but according to a Nasom survey, one in 150 child has autism. Hanafiah says the number could be more. Based on rough calculations, there are between 200,000 and 300,000 autistic people, including adults, he says.
Since there is no cure for autism, appropriate therapy and treatment programmes will greatly improve the outlook for most young children inflicted with it.
On top of the existing methods, he believes the use of robots can improve the therapy for autistic children.
POTENTIAL
Hanafiah has been building robots since 2002 when he was pursuing his Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering at Yamagata University in Japan.