Description du projet
Donner une voix aux enfants autistes peu verbaux
La communication est un aspect fondamental de notre vie, il s'agit toutefois d'un défi complexe pour environ 30 % des enfants autistes qui sont très peu verbaux. Ces enfants utilisent principalement des vocalisations non verbales pour s'exprimer, qui sont souvent mal comprises par ceux qui ne sont pas en contact étroit avec eux. Le projet COMUTTI, soutenu par le programme Actions Marie Skłodowska-Curie combinera le traitement des signaux audio et l'interaction humain-machine afin de créer des interfaces vocales avancées pour l’orthophonie. Il développera des algorithmes d'apprentissage automatique pour classer ces vocalisations, en capitalisant sur les connaissances uniques des soignants. Un prototype de communication alternative augmentée basée sur la voix sera conçu avec la participation active des utilisateurs finaux, des soignants et des professionnels de l’autisme.
Objectif
About 30% of children with autism are minimally verbal (MV), meaning they can communicate mainly through nonverbal vocalizations (i.e. vocalizations that do not have typical verbal content). Vocalizations often have self-consistent phonetic content and vary in tone, pitch, and duration depending on the individual's emotional state or intended communication. While vocalizations contain important affective and communicative information and are comprehensible by close caregivers, they are often poorly understood by those who do not know the communicator well. An improved understanding of nonverbal vocalizations could pave the way for a better understanding of the cognitive, social, and emotional mechanisms associated with MV children with autism. Moreover, it could lead to new therapeutic interventions for these subjects based on advanced voice-based technology for Augmented Alternative Communication (AAC), i.e. for communicating without using words.
This MSCA touches on the research fields of audio signal processing (in particular, children's vocalizations perception) and human-computer interaction (in particular, voice-based interfaces for speech therapy). It aims to advance the understanding of MV autistic children's vocalizations and exploit the obtained knowledge to create advanced voice-based interfaces to enhance their therapeutic interventions. During the outgoing phase at MIT, the work will be about identifying and implementing machine learning algorithms for classifying children's vocalizations. The core strategy is to leverage the unique knowledge provided by caregivers who have long-term acquaintance with MV children with autism and can recognize the meaning of their vocalizations. In the return phase at POLIMI, the project will be about designing, developing, and empirically validating a voice-based AAC prototype for children's speech therapy through a participatory-design process involving end users, their caregivers, and autism experts.
Mots‑clés
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Appel à propositions
(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01
Voir d’autres projets de cet appelRégime de financement
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global FellowshipsCoordinateur
20133 Milano
Italie