Using AI to better support adults with autism, other disabilities

The number of people diagnosed with autism has increased dramatically, but artificial intelligence is making it easier to integrate autistic people into society with better support, participants at a conference organized by the Civic Diplomacy Department of Foreign Ministry were told.

The conference took place on December 3, the International Day for People with Disabilities. The focus on this occasion was autism and how artificial intelligence will help millions of people to be fully integrated into civil society, cultural events, and the job market.

Several speakers stressed the importance of early childhood detection in order to overcome the challenges confronting children with a variety of disorders but did not rule out the possibility of helping adults.  

Clinical trials produced positive results 

In fact, clinical trials performed with adults have produced positive results.

One such clinical trial is a cell phone with buttons that can be pressed to jog memory, call for help, or for other services. Such phones have been given to autistic adults who have been incorporated into the workforce. Each special phone is programmed to the unique problems of its owner so that when they press the button, there is a helpful solution to the problem.

But it’s not just in the workplace that it can be used. A video was shown of a young woman who suffered acutely from fear and anxiety, particularly fear of terrorists. Now that she has the phone, she’s much calmer.

Some of the innovative research was sparked by the researcher having a family member with autism or by a philanthropist with an autistic child.  

In witnessing how their own children are affected by autism, some philanthropists are eager to find ways to prevent other children from being out of the loop.

In as much as remarkable things are being achieved in this direction, it was generally acknowledged that there are not enough trained therapists or caregivers - not only in Israel but worldwide - to give children or adults with autism the kind of support that they need.

According to statistics that were presented, in the US alone, 11 million jobs are waiting to be filled. It was pointed out many of these could be taken up by people with mental or neurological disorders, provided that they received proper therapy, support, and training.

One of the important therapies is music. In fact, music was one of the few things to which Ruth Perez, one of the victims of the Hamas massacre at the Nova festival, responded. Born with cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, she was unable to speak or walk and spent her short life in a wheelchair. When she was five, her family discovered that she loved trance music, which she could listen to endlessly.

The upshot was that her father, Arik, took her to numerous trans parties to give her as much happiness as possible. The Nova festival was the last of those parties.

A video of Ruth and her father narrated by her sister served to convey several messages. The first was that people with disabilities matter. The second was that they have the same rights as people with abilities and should be integrated to the best of their potential.  The third was that music can bring joy to the soul.

A good example of this is at Bar-Ilan University, where eight years ago, Dr. Avi Gilboa, head of the university’s Music Department, introduced a three-year music course for autistic adult students. The condition for acceptance was some musical talent and a passion for music. The course is called Kellim Shluvim, which literally translates as Communicating Vessels, but in Hebrew, it also means musical instruments.

The student intake for the course is 30 to 35 a year. To instill confidence and initiative, plus an ability to communicate, the students, in addition to learning a variety of musical subjects, have become an ensemble of performers who sing and play with great enthusiasm. When they performed at the conference, they received a rousing ovation.  

The conference, which dealt with many more disorders than those mentioned here, was attended by foreign diplomats, therapists, researchers, professional trainers, hi-tech entrepreneurs, journalists and more, plus a large representation of people with autism.

The bottom line was that AI should be perceived as a bridge and not as a barrier, and what it can do to change many kinds of disabilities into abilities will result in countless additional contributions to society and to the economy.