The Solution
What if students with ASD had a Virtual Angel with them at all times to help them navigate social situations? A good angel on their shoulder reminding them of the better choice and guiding them on how to read social cues? Advances in wearable technologies are making this possible!
The Product
Virtual Angel is able to meet the needs of both the school and the students by providing cost effective, one-on-one, just-in-time tailored support in all environments. Software loaded in to Google class and worn in conjunction with a watch equipped with a biometric monitoring bracelet, provides the student with the much needed guidance and cues to be successful in a complex social environment like high school.
The Student
We are aiming to begin our pilot project with students in Gr. 8-12. Virtual Angel will monitor the wearer’s emotional and physical state. Based on the data collected, a signal can be sent to the headset to warn then user to take time and step back from whatever is triggering them, or encourage them on long when they are successful at socially complex situations. These messages can be easily configured to match the language already developed and used with the student by parents and behavioural specialists.
With Google Glass’s built in camera can the software can read and detect body temperature and visual cues, send a status message to the glass. It can inform the wearer of the other person’s emotional arousal state and advise them accordingly. Virtual Angel can guide the wearer through a wide variety of situations or advise them to leave it. Typically students on the Autism spectrum will begin to burn out near the end of semester or as holidays approach. Virtual Angel can even pre-emptively advise the student to go to the councillors’ office on a particularly high stress/trigger day if the sensors indicate the student is functioning at a high state of arousal despite not having any personal interactions to cause it.
With Google Glass’s built in camera can the software can read and detect body temperature and visual cues, send a status message to the glass. It can inform the wearer of the other person’s emotional arousal state and advise them accordingly. Virtual Angel can guide the wearer through a wide variety of situations or advise them to leave it. Typically students on the Autism spectrum will begin to burn out near the end of semester or as holidays approach. Virtual Angel can even pre-emptively advise the student to go to the councillors’ office on a particularly high stress/trigger day if the sensors indicate the student is functioning at a high state of arousal despite not having any personal interactions to cause it.
The Support Team
All data can be relayed back to the students’ behavioural interventionist and parents via computer link so that there is a record and report on the student’s daily interactions with peers and teachers. Patterns in behaviour and reactions can be tracked and monitored for early intervention during high stress times. Situations can also be recorded for play back and deconstruction with their specialist to further the students ability to recognize and improve in their social skills. Virtual Angel can be enabled to send emergency text messages to parents and staff immediately upon the occurrence of a physical altercation.
Accessibility
We want this technology to be accessible to every child who needs it. We are hoping to get government support and have Virtual Angel qualify for educational grants and special education funding so that students with designations can use their funding to acquire this technology.
Viability
Virtual Angel is a discontinuous innovation that offers a transformative benefit to high functioning students navigating a complex social environment. (Skok, 2013) It address a very real problem, lack of support staff, and changes the status quo by using technology to meet needs of learners. Educational funding for students with designations could be used to purchase Virtual Angel. The software will learn with the learner and adapt over time, providing them with tailor feedback they will be more likely to receive favourable and follow. With increased usage and data collection, Virtual Angel will continue to adapt and grow with the student throughout their educational journey.