Aryan Debnath, 12, from Gurgaon, became accustomed to the silence around him at a young age, as he struggled with delayed speech and Autistic Spectrum Disorder, which made communication difficult. His interest in coding led him to create an app to assist other autistic children.
Given Aryan's speech difficulties, his mother, Anamika Sengupta, talked to Education Times on his behalf.
Autism and Education
"Even now, conventional instructors follow a basic programme for autistic youngsters, without distinguishing between students." "Unfortunately, autism is sometimes mistaken for intellectual deficiency," says Sengupta.
"Last year, my mother discovered Whitehat Jr.'s one-on-one class option. "I finally found an instructor who was willing to work with me at my own pace," Aryan adds. Teachers gradually began to grasp his speech and encouraged him to pursue his thoughts. "I used to scribble down my ideas because spoken communication was tough for me," Aryan explains.
As Aryan began working on the coding platform, he communicated to his mentors the importance of developing applications to address difficulties that individuals with disabilities confront. "An internal competition asked us to tackle real-world problems, which was followed by the development of a related app." "My proposal to create an optically friendly application to assist patients with autism gained me fourth place in the competition," Aryan explains.
Aryan was able to pinpoint the majority of challenges that children with autism confront in their daily lives based on his personal experience. "One of the most serious issues is a lack of communication and social skills. As a result, pictures become vital because they help us communicate more effectively," he explains.
Aryan has created a calendar in the 'Companion' app that helps children with autism and their carers comprehend and adjust to their daily schedule. Emotional signals are also included in the app to assist users in expressing themselves. "If a youngster is experiencing emotional distress, the app might assist him or her spell it out for caregivers. Furthermore, a small percentage of autistic children are completely nonverbal, incapable of even asking for water or permission to use the restroom. "The app also benefits these kids," he explains.
Aryan has also created a visual library, where he has posted photographs that span a variety of topics. "If a youngster wants to go to the movies, eat at a restaurant, or see a doctor, he or she can communicate with their caregiver using a corresponding photo from the library."
Aryan’s focus is to customising the app to make it better. “I want to incorporate a camera in the next version. Sometimes, in a public place, autistic children face humiliation or get bullied. In such cases, a single click will activate the camera, and it can record the event. In case guardians seek legal assistance, they can present the recording,” he tells.
Aryan is hoping to release an improvised version of the app soon. The app should soon be available on the IOS App store soon, tells Aryan.