Simple Steps Autism

Robots aren't known for their soft side. They build cars and defuse bombs; they don't, as a rule, make friends or deal with feelings. But a few groups of researchers around the world are working to build robots for an unusual purpose: Making emotional connections with autistic children who often struggle to interact with humans.

There's something about machines that really seems to resonate with many kids with autism, says Maja Mataric, co-director of the Robotics Research Lab at USC. These children often have trouble reading human emotions and social cues — complexities they don't have to worry about when they're around a mechanical being.

Click through to read the full story by Chris Woolston in the Los Angeles Times

A Belfast technology company has won its first export contract, following news of a £140,000 investment.

Simple Steps signed a deal with an organisation in Portugal to provide its new online teaching tool to assist families of children on the autistic spectrum.

The firm is investing over £140,000 in developing the parent-led, interactive online system that enables parents to harness applied behaviour analysis (ABA), a scientifically validated treatment for autism.

Click through to read the full story by Heather McGarrigle in Belfast Telegraph

MORE than two months after their specialist school closed due to a lack of funds, a group of eight autistic children still have no school places.

The former pupils at Achieve ABA in Donaghmede, north Dublin, have instead spent the past 10 weeks either at home or being taught by private tutors paid for by parents.

Click through to read the full story by Breda Heffernan in the Independant.

CRESTVIEW — When Laura O’Brien wanted to take her children to an autism center closer to her Milton home, she opened one. When she saw the need for centers in Navarre and Crestview, she opened them, too.

O’Brien named the centers Spectrum House. She said the name refers to the disorders she treats, which are on an interconnected spectrum and have varied levels of the neurological disabilities.

The Spectrum team of educators and board certified behavior analysts teach severely autistic children to speak and adults how to take care of themselves. The program also helps people with attention deficit/hyperactive disorder and downs syndrome.

Click through to read the full story in NWF Daily News.

The rate of autism has increased over the years, and is still continuously growing.  People who are autistic or those who have Alzheimer’s disease are at high risk to wander away from home and with this, the rate also of missing cases involving people with autism, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia has also grown

Click through to read the full story by Phoebe Mandap in Silicon Angle