Pictogram: a Digital Environment for Autism Spectrum Disorder Treatment & Management

Project Information

Pictogram

Grant agreement ID: 856015

DOI

10.3030/856015

Project closed

EC signature date 30 January 2019

Start date 1 February 2019

End date 31 May 2019

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

YOTTACODE SOCIEDAD LIMITADA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Pictogram (Pictogram: a Digital Environment for Autism Spectrum Disorder Treatment & Management)

Reporting period: 2019-02-01 to 2019-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

PICTOGRAM is a cloud-based Augmented and Alternative Communications solution for helping ASD children with language disorders to learn language and communications skills within a cloud-based social context. So far, there have been tools/apps/devices that enable one-on-one conversations. However, while they assist with the child’s most immediate and basic needs, they do not instil the more critical skills that the child will require in their life as an adult. The purpose of a language is to make possible communications with the world at large. So far, there has been no solution that would fit each child’s ability and rate of progress. PICTOGRAM is the innovation that addresses this challenge.

PICTOGRAM rrecognizes that members of the autistic community have ‘super-powers’ that can improve our society. ASD individuals have a lot to offer to our communities and their integration is imperative to advancement of our societies. PICTOGRAM’s unique and effective way of teaching language and communication skill helps these individuals to integrate with their communities to lead more fulfilled, productive and influential lives.

PICTOGRAM provides learners with immediate support of those who are vested in the child’s progress. Unlike current alternatives, the child is gradually exposed to language and communications concepts within a social context of their family and supporting speech therapy specialists. PICTOGRAM relies on evidence-based methodologies that equip children with real-life communication skills that help them to participate in a wider community. PICTOGRAM harnesses Machine Learning algorithms that study the progress of each session and based on the child’s performance, the system recommends more effective approaches that suit individual needs.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Technical Feasibility outlined a roadmap to advance our technology from the current TRL6 to a commercially-viable level of TRL8. We translated the project's functional requirements into technical work, where the goal is to have PICTOGRAM support autonomous learning recommendations for each child using Natural Language Processing algorithms. This aspect will improve with increasing volumes of learning session data. PICTOGRAM will also be adapted to support people with speech difficulties related to disorders other than ASD. We evaluated potential technical risks and proposed mitigative solutions.
Commercial Feasibility defined our core customer groups and performed an in-depth market analysis to choose the most active and motivated ASD population segments within Spain, Germany, the UK, Mexico, Latin America, Canada and the US. We confirmed that children with ASD and accompanying speech difficulties offer the most suitable market for introducing PICTOGRAM. Our commercial plan defines how we will reach our target audiences. As part of our FTO/IPR analysis, we evaluated a selection of patents to assess their level of similarity to our innovation – we found no IP breaches or overlaps.
Financial Feasibility was an exercise in considering how our business model will perform to make our innovation socially-desirable and financially self-sustaining. The key metrics assessed were market share amongst different customer groups, variation between license types, revenue streams and personnel expenses. We assessed the projects's cummulative profits and the overall ROI.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The most commonly used AAC tools represented by low-tech formal and informal technologies, including informal high-tech apps, have had limited potential to help ASD children, their families and caregivers to overcome their communication challenges. Generally, these tools are at an early stage of technological maturity, most lack expert supervision, they are well-meaning but not scientifically-validated, and lack consistent teaching/learning methodology.

PICTOGRAM engages a wider body of people to actively assist the ASD children to learn social and language communications skills by example and imitation. PICTOGRAM is an optimized platform for designing, implementing and evaluating of speech interventions based on Programmed Instructions. Programmed (linguistic) instructions are based on prior analysis of verbal behaviour to derive systematic language instructions (tasks), one step at a time.

PICTOGRAM introduces a quantum leap in communication skills and language mastery because users are exposed to language use in a safe, secure and social context using mobile devices. PICTOGRAM harnesses Machine Learning to diligently study each child’s progress. Instead of implementing a rigid, one-size-fits-all curriculum, it accurately suggests effective teaching pathways in response to observed progress and specific areas of need of each student. By offering those two things, it simplifies and accelerates the learning progress and thus the child’s integrations into society.

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