The School District of Tooele County is introducing a new member among its faculty.
Dr. Scott Rogers, Tooele County’s superintendent, was delighted to share the arrival of Milo, a humanoid robot developed by RoboKind as a part of their Robots4Autism program, whose efforts are fast becoming crucial in the field of education for persons with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, or ASD.
Robots4Autism and Milo are part of a cost-avoidance education platform designed by RoboKind as a means of providing educational opportunities for children and adults with ASD. As a socially advanced robot, Milo doesn’t have the capacity for fatigue or frustration. The curriculum Milo employs, developed by Dr. Pamela Rollins, Dr. Carolyn Garver, and speech language pathologist Michelle McFarlin, is built upon techniques of consistency and repetition. And Milo’s patience and supportive attitude go a long way to immerse ASD learners into a larger sense of their environment, where they are free to interact and engage with the world with confidence.
RoboKind created Milo as a teacher’s assistant to help reinforce their efforts to help students with ASD. Through a cooperative balance with human interaction and the friendly persona of Milo, a common foundation is laid for ASD learners to break out of their shell and interact with their environment. Milo’s 70 to 80 percent engagement rate to that of traditional therapy 3 percent rate is proof of Robots4Autism effectiveness.
In a Youtube video shared by the District, Superintendent Dr. Rogers can barely contain his enthusiasm while he unveils Tooele County’s very own Milo. It’s that enthusiasm and acceptance of Milo, and the willingness to embrace the possibilities, that means so much to Mark Child, RoboKind’s Executive Director of Marketing. “I love it when a superintendent grasps the vision of Robots4Autism and is excited to share it!”
And check out Milo’s arrival at the Tooele County School District Special Education Department below: