Autism: Historic View and a Current Biomedical Engineering Approach [Retrospectroscope]

Abstract

Mind and consciousness are like a gradual sunrise that takes time to come up. In the meantime, we are not stagnant, waiting for life to happen. The music of life, felt with our bodies, long before we identify mind with self...some of us stay here longer than others. Music in its broader sense is everywhere, and it is our first language...it has the most important of all places in the lives of those who find the realm of the mind a place of rusty cogs and heavy effort.-Donna Williams, (from the preface of [11], with a review by Max E. Valentinuzzi in [12])O ne symptom common to all types of autism is an inability to easily communicate and interact with others. In fact, some people with autism are unable to communicate at all. Others may have difficulty interpreting body language or holding a conversation.

Languages and Disabilities: Is There Anything BME Can Help Out With? Some History, Too

“…Perez et al [7] described the experience obtained at a public hospital following requirements outlined by the attending physicians to a group of children with different autism spectrum disorder degrees, that is, by using a friendly software environment with activities aimed at improving the communication and the interaction of the children with the computer. The proposed interface is an assistive technology, and, as such, it was defined as a Human Activity Assistive Technology model for the purpose of its evaluation.…”

Fireworks, Autism, and Animals: What \"Fun\" Noises Do to Sensitive Humans and Our Beloved Pets [Retrospectroscope]

“…n a previous article in IEEE Pulse, autism was reviewed, and we discovered, not without surprise, that the condition as now recognized is barely more than 100 years old [1]. In the same article, a graphical user interface designed specifically for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was presented.…”