Talkitt: toward a new instrument based on artificial intelligence for augmentative and alternative communication in children with down syndrome

Frontiers in Psychology

Psychology

Deborah Ru๠ Elisa Fuc๠ Cristina Caciolo¹  Floriana Costanzo¹  Stefano Vicari²  Sara Smolley³  Danny Weissberg³ 

[1] Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy;Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy;Department of Life Science and Public Health, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy;Voiceitt Ltd., Buffalo, NY, United States;

关键词: language;    machine learning;    trisomy 21;    digital application;    speech;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1176683

 received in 2023-02-28, accepted in 2023-05-10,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionIndividuals with Down syndrome (DS) often exhibit a severe speech impairment, with important consequences on language intelligibility. For these cases, the use of Augmentative Alternative Communication instruments, that increase an individual’s communication abilities, becomes crucial. Talkitt is a mobile application created by Voiceitt Company, exploiting speech recognition technology and artificial intelligence models to translate in real-time unintelligible sounds into clear words, allowing individuals with language production impairment to verbally communicate in real-time.MethodsThe study evaluated the usability and satisfaction related to the Talkitt application use, as well as effects on adapted behavior and communication, of participants with DS. A final number of 23 individuals with DS, aged 5.54 to 28.9 years, participated in this study and completed 6 months of training. The application was trained to consistently recognize at least 20 different unintelligible words (e.g., nouns and/or short phrases)/person.ResultsResults revealed good usability and high levels of satisfaction related to the application use. Moreover, we registered improvement in linguistic abilities, particularly naming.DiscussionThese results paves the road for a potential role of Talkitt application as a supportive and rehabilitative tool for DS.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Costanzo, Fucà, Caciolo, Ruà, Smolley, Weissberg and Vicari.