National Autism Indicators Report: Transition into Young Adulthood

There is very little research published concerning how people with autism do in the adult portion of their lifespans. We analyzed data from "The National Longitudinal Transition Study-2" and "The Survey of Pathways to Diagnosis and Services" to examine the service needs and life outcomes of adolescents and young adults on the autism spectrum. This report describes the prevalence of a wide variety of indicators related to transition planning, services access, unmet needs, employment, postsecondary education, living arrangements, social participation, and safety and risk

BNCI systems as a potential assistive technology: ethical issues and participatory research in the BrainAble project

This paper highlights aspects related to current research and thinking about ethical issues in relation to Brain Computer Interface (BCI) and Brain-Neuronal Computer Interfaces (BNCI) research through the experience of one particular project, BrainAble, which is exploring and developing the potential of these technologies to enable people with complex disabilities to control computers. It describes how ethical practice has been developed both within the multidisciplinary research team and with participants. Results: The paper presents findings in which participants shared their views of the project prototypes, of the potential of BCI/BNCI systems as an assistive technology, and of their other possible applications. This draws attention to the importance of ethical practice in projects where high expectations of technologies, and representations of “ideal types” of disabled users may reinforce stereotypes or drown out participant “voices”. Conclusions: Ethical frameworks for research and development in emergent areas such as BCI/BNCI systems should be based on broad notions of a “duty of care” while being sufficiently flexible that researchers can adapt project procedures according to participant needs. They need to be frequently revisited, not only in the light of experience, but also to ensure they reflect new research findings and ever more complex and powerful technologies

Will artificial intelligence be a blessing or concern in assistive robots for play?

The recent advances and popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) offer exciting possibilities to improve technology but they also raise concerns.  In this paper, we use our research to present the potential benefits of using AI in assistive technology for children with disabilities to access play, and examine potential ethical concerns surrounding data required by AI algorithms. Since play is a key factor in child well-being and cognitive development, secondary disabilities may arise as a consequence of motor impairments. Assistive robots for augmentative manipulation can be instrumental in providing children with physical disabilities play opportunities, but we need to take a principled and user-centered approach to technical innovations.Os avanços recentes e popularidade da Inteligência Artificial (IA) oferecem possibilidades animadoras para melhorar a tecnologia, mas, também, trazem preocupação. Neste artigo, usamos nossa pesquisa para apresentar os benefícios potenciais do uso da IA em tecnologia assistiva para crianças com deficiências brincarem e examinar possíveis preocupações éticas em torno dos dados exigidos pelos algoritmos de IA. Uma vez que o brincar é um fator chave no bem-estar infantil e no desenvolvimento cognitivo, as incapacidades secundárias podem surgir como consequência de deficiências motoras. Robôs assistivos para manipulação aumentativa podem ser fundamentais para proporcionar às crianças com deficiência física oportunidades de brincar, mas precisamos adotar uma abordagem baseada em princípios e centrada no usuário para inovações técnicas

A inteligência artificial será uma bênção ou preocupação em robôs assistivos para brincar?

The recent advances and popularity of artificial intelligence (AI) offer exciting possibilities to improve technology but they also raise concerns. In this paper, we use our research to present the potential benefits of using AI in assistive technology for children with disabilities to access play, and examine potential ethical concerns surrounding data required by AI algorithms. Since play is a key factor in child well-being and cognitive development, secondary disabilities may arise as a consequence of motor impairments. Assistive robots for augmentative manipulation can be instrumental in providing children with physical disabilities play opportunities, but we need to take a principled and user-centered approach to technical innovations.Os avanços recentes e popularidade da Inteligência Artificial (IA) oferecem possibilidades animadoras para melhorar a tecnologia, mas, também, trazem preocupação. Neste artigo, usamos nossa pesquisa para apresentar os benefícios potenciais do uso da IA em tecnologia assistiva para crianças com deficiências brincarem e examinar possíveis preocupações éticas em torno dos dados exigidos pelos algoritmos de IA. Uma vez que o brincar é um fator chave no bem-estar infantil e no desenvolvimento cognitivo, as incapacidades secundárias podem surgir como consequência de deficiências motoras. Robôs assistivos para manipulação aumentativa podem ser fundamentais para proporcionar às crianças com deficiência física oportunidades de brincar, mas precisamos adotar uma abordagem baseada em princípios e centrada no usuário para inovações técnicas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Healthcare Robotics

Robots have the potential to be a game changer in healthcare: improving health and well-being, filling care gaps, supporting care givers, and aiding health care workers. However, before robots are able to be widely deployed, it is crucial that both the research and industrial communities work together to establish a strong evidence-base for healthcare robotics, and surmount likely adoption barriers. This article presents a broad contextualization of robots in healthcare by identifying key stakeholders, care settings, and tasks; reviewing recent advances in healthcare robotics; and outlining major challenges and opportunities to their adoption.Comment: 8 pages, Communications of the ACM, 201

Surveying Persons with Disabilities: A Source Guide (Version 1)

As a collaborator with the Cornell Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Demographics and Statistics, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. has been working on a project that identifies the strengths and limitations in existing disability data collection in both content and data collection methodology. The intended outcomes of this project include expanding and synthesizing knowledge of best practices and the extent existing data use those practices, informing the development of data enhancement options, and contributing to a more informed use of existing data. In an effort to provide the public with an up-to-date and easily accessible source of research on the methodological issues associated with surveying persons with disabilities, MPR has prepared a Source Guide of material related to this topic. The Source Guide contains 150 abstracts, summaries, and references, followed by a Subject Index, which cross references the sources from the Reference List under various subjects. The Source Guide is viewed as a “living document,” and will be periodically updated

Designing wheelchair-based movement games

People using wheelchairs have access to fewer sports and other physically stimulating leisure activities than nondisabled persons, and often lead sedentary lifestyles that negatively influence their health. While motion- based video games have demonstrated great potential of encouraging physical activity among nondisabled players, the accessibility of motion-based games is limited for persons with mobility disabilities, thus also limiting access to the potential health benefits of playing these games. In our work, we address this issue through the design of wheelchair-accessible motion-based game controls. We present KINECTWheels, a toolkit designed to integrate wheelchair movements into motion-based games. Building on the toolkit, we developed Cupcake Heaven, a wheelchair-based video game designed for older adults using wheelchairs, and we created Wheelchair Revolution, a motion-based dance game that is accessible to both persons using wheelchairs and nondisabled players. Evaluation results show that KINECTWheels can be applied to make motion-based games wheelchair-accessible, and that wheelchair-based games engage broad audiences in physically stimulating play. Through the application of the wheelchair as an enabling technology in games, our work has the potential of encouraging players of all ages to develop a positive relationship with their wheelchair

Designing movement-based play with young people using powered wheelchairs

Young people using powered wheelchairs have limited access to engaging leisure activities. We address this issue through a two-stage project; 1) the participatory development of a set of wheelchair-controlled, movement-based games (with 9 participants at a school that provides education for young people who have special needs) and 2) three case studies (4 participants) exploring player perspectives on a set of three wheelchair-controlled casual games. Our results show that movement-based playful experiences are engaging for young people using powered wheelchairs. However, the participatory design process and case studies also reveal challenges for game accessibility regarding the integration of movement in games, diversity of abilities among young people using powered wheelchairs, and the representation of disability in games. In our paper, we explore how to address those challenges in the development of accessible, empowering movement-based games, which is crucial to the wider participation of young people using powered wheelchairs in play