Azzurrini Academy is a project to introduce football and inclusive motor activity; intended for children and young people with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders and/or mild intellectual disability; new technologies are used to reinforce the skills acquired on the playing field (cognitive training) and to improve the management of emotions (emotional intelligence).
It provides moments of comparison and sharing with all the territorial network services involved, in which the operating methods necessary for the implementation of the project are established.
The educator meets the user together with the family, and then proceeds to get to know the coach and the sports center, with the aim of establishing a relationship of trust between the operator and the boy.
It takes place inside the sports center in the presence of a professional soccer coach with experience in managing children with disabilities, with the aim of achieving a gradual improvement of individual minors in the areas of autonomy, relationships, recognition and internalization of the rule and motor coordination.
Communication, which may appear as a trivial and intuitive process, where individuals often feel in control of the context and capable of navigating the relational dynamics with the interlocutor, presents significant challenges for people with autism spectrum disorders, due to their intrinsic difficulties in establishing interpersonal connections. Recently, the field of robotics is emerging as an effective support tool, addressing the needs of these individuals for predictability, concreteness and stability, and gaining wide acceptance for its positive outcomes. In the context of the autism spectrum, a limited capacity to adopt flexible modes of thought, as well as to effectively monitor and plan thought and action, has been observed. This limitation arises from an underlying neuropsychological disorder, which hinders the organization and perception of experience as cohesive, structured and oriented towards a specific goal. Key elements that favor the adoption of robotics in this context include: the prevalent use of the visual-spatial channel, the use of structured and predictable language devoid of emotional components, and the ability to personalize the tool for the user. The visual-spatial channel is specifically adapted to the sensory needs of autistic people, who tend to favor the visual modality over the auditory one during learning, partly due to the deficit in central coherence. From the language perspective, robotics responds to the deficit in theory of mind typical of autism, offering structured and predictable language. Its clarity also comes from the absence of emotional or implicit elements, which could confuse the understanding of autistic individuals. Robotics, aligning with the language and cognitive functions characteristic of autism, facilitates attentional processes and strengthens the self-esteem and self-efficacy of users, using constant feedback as reinforcement. Furthermore, it provides a protected environment, where performance anxiety and exposure are minimized and more easily manageable. In summary, the integration of robotics could offer significant improvements in executive functions and overall psychological well-being of these individuals.
“Computational thinking” refers to a set of mental processes used to address and solve heterogeneous problems through the adoption of specific methods and tools. From a scientific point of view, computational thinking is a logical-creative methodology that facilitates the deconstruction of complex problems into simpler and more manageable subproblems, addressed sequentially. The individual resolution of these subproblems contributes to the solution of the entire problem. The acquisition and development of this skill are considered crucial from early childhood. In the context of educational robotics, this discipline plays a significant role in the development of computational thinking and problem solving skills. In fact, robotics stimulates children to exercise logical reasoning and to deal with problem solving, making debugging (error correction) an almost automatic process and focusing attention on the final goal to be achieved. For children with autism spectrum disorders, interaction with robots has proven to be particularly effective. They tend to focus their attention on the robot for significantly longer periods than a human interlocutor, reducing the distraction caused by complex and difficult to interpret social signals. Furthermore, repetitive behaviors and indicators of distress, such as hand flapping, were observed with a lower frequency during interactions with robots compared to human encounters. This suggests that robots can act as facilitators in communication between educator and child, or between parent and child. Therefore, robot-assisted therapy should be considered complementary, rather than a replacement, to traditional human therapy. Artificial Intelligence, in synergy with robotics, thus emerges as a promising educational and therapeutic tool to stimulate cognitive abilities and to develop computational thinking, particularly in the context of autism spectrum disorders.
– Jeannette Wing – 2006
– LuxAI, spinoff dell’Università del Lussemburgo, ideatrice di QTrobot
Two types of activities will be proposed: the first linked to CODING UNPLUGGED (learning and teaching activities of programming principles that do not involve the use of electronic devices); the second linked to the use of a robot. Both will aim, in a different but complementary way, to develop and strengthen computational thinking. These activities will take place both in groups in the pre-camp phase, and at home with parents. The goal is to prepare the kids for the cognitive training phase, for learning the schemes proposed by the coach.
Indexes have been created to measure the results achieved
Recent scientific evidence has confirmed the high plasticity of the human brain, which is particularly evident during the early stages of development. Although specific time windows of greater susceptibility to learning have been identified in children, contemporary studies (Zhou, X. & Merzenich, M.M., 2007) have shown that brain plasticity persists throughout life. It has been observed that intensive therapies or training can induce structural changes in the brain; more specifically, the stimulation and continuous exercise of a given skill lead to the formation of new synaptic connections. In children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), in addition to impairments in communication and relational skills, significant difficulties in Executive Functions are found. These include planning, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, problem solving and impulse control. These difficulties have a direct impact on social competence and academic performance (Pellicano 2012). The use of new technologies in therapeutic intervention offers greater continuity and consistency in the training of specific skills. This is particularly advantageous for children with DSA, as it allows them to focus exclusively on the cognitive task, eliminating the challenges associated with social interaction. In this way, technology provides a more controlled and less distracting learning environment, thus facilitating the enhancement of the desired skills.
2D Video, 3D Video, Tablet or Mobile, Drone Video Shooting, Virtual Reality, App
We will simplify the schemes proposed by the coach through the technologies mentioned above. We will create a YouTube channel so that the kids at home can, together with their parents, “train their minds” by reviewing the schemes that the coach explained to them on the field (video modeling).
The first 4 diagrams will be explained to the kids by the coach with all the aids we will make available: blackboard, simplified paper diagram, 2D video, 3D video, drone footage; the last 8 diagrams will not be explained to the kids by the coach, but they themselves will try to learn them “at home” together with their parents, through the digital media we will make available: simplified diagram *.jpeg, 2D video, 3D video and drone footage. The diagrams will have increasing difficulty.
Indexes have been created to measure the results achieved
In everyday life, individuals are generally able to identify and communicate their emotional states, as expressed in statements such as “Today I feel happy because I passed a college exam” or “I am worried because my son is not answering his cell phone”. This ability to emotionally self-aware, recognize and communicate emotions is attributable to what Goleman calls “Emotional Intelligence”. This concept refers to an individual’s ability to identify, understand and manage their emotions, thus influencing behavior in response to these feelings. In the context of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), significant challenges in managing emotions are observed. Individuals with ASD do not spontaneously develop the ability to recognize and regulate their emotions. Therefore, it is essential to educate these individuals to identify and manage emotions before they become predominant. It is particularly important to focus on the child’s specific emotional experiences in certain situations, in order to help them interpret their feelings and give them a name. This approach facilitates the recognition of these emotions in future similar experiences, both in themselves and in others. Despite an acute sensitivity to emotions, children with ASD often struggle to contain them, which can be directly manifested in their behavior. For example, a child may express happiness at seeing a friend through arousing behaviors such as “flickering,” or may pace a room full of strangers as a way of managing their discomfort. These behaviors reflect the child’s attempt to manage intense emotions in the absence of more traditional emotion regulation strategies.
– Daniel Goleman (born March 7, 1946 in Stockton, New York) is an American psychologist, writer, and journalist. He studied at Amherst College, where he was a student of Alfred F. Jones. He graduated from Harvard, specializing in “clinical psychology and personality development,” where he later taught – Goleman, D. (2013). Emotional Intelligence. Bur Rizzoli, Milan. specific emotional experiences of the child in certain situations, in order to help him interpret his feelings and give them a name. This approach facilitates the recognition of such emotions in future similar experiences, both in themselves and in others. Despite an acute sensitivity to emotions, children with ASD often struggle to contain them, which can be directly manifested in their behavior. For example, a child may express his happiness at seeing a friend through stimulating behaviors such as “flickering,” or he may pace back and forth in a room full of strangers as a way of managing his discomfort. These behaviors reflect the child’s attempt to manage intense emotions in the absence of more traditional emotion regulation strategies.
– Emotional intelligence is an aspect of intelligence related to the ability to recognize, use, understand and consciously manage one’s own and others’ emotions (Salovey and Mayer, 1990; Goleman, 1995; Sternberg, 1996).
Augmented Reality (Merge Cube), UnidigitalAR, Virtual Reality
This time we started the other way around: from the augmented reality application (Moment A.R., created specifically for autistic children and visible with the support of the Merge Cube), we recreated the moment that precedes the use of this application, that is, the “paper in the classroom” one. We graphically created 6 cards that represent 6 different emotions (the same ones treated by the augmented reality application through holograms) – front: emoticon and color; back: face or real action that represents the emotion:
1 – Happiness
2 – Sadness
3 – Anger
4 – Surprise
5 – Fear
6 – Disgust
It will be the educator’s task to create educational paths through these teaching aids.
Indexes have been created to measure the results achieved
During the course, knowledge and interaction with the family is required, with whom a monitoring work will be carried out, with the staff who will have the task of sharing individualized objectives and strategies with the parents aimed at ensuring the well-being of the minor. Mediation work is also planned to support the clinical context in which the reference Neuropsychiatry operates. During the reworking work, to be held at home, collaboration with the family will be required, who will have the task of encouraging the boy, while the review of the exercises carried out will be held remotely. During the course, interviews with the family are planned to take stock of the situation.
The work carried out online will be organized as follows:
ERACLE SPORT FOOTBALL CLUB SSD
Via Bianchi Giovini, 3 – 22100
Como (CO)
Cod. Fisc: 03775530136