If you are looking for a way to help your students with special needs learn social and emotional skills, you might want to consider a robot named Milo. Milo is a humanoid robot created by RoboKind, a company that specializes in robotics and curriculum programs for K-12 students with autism.
Milo is designed to engage students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities through facial expressions, gestures, and speech. Milo can deliver lessons on topics such as greetings, emotions, turn-taking, and coping strategies. Milo can also provide feedback and reinforcement to help students practice and improve their skills.
According to RoboKind, research shows that students with ASD are more likely to interact with Milo than with human instructors. This is because Milo is consistent, predictable, and non-judgmental. Milo can also repeat lessons as many times as needed without losing patience or interest.
One of the schools that has adopted Milo is Pendleton Elementary School in South Carolina. The school serves about 50 students with special needs, ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade. The school received a grant from the South Carolina Department of Education to purchase two Milo robots and the accompanying curriculum.
The school's special education teacher, Jennifer Bostic, said that Milo has been a great addition to her classroom. She said that Milo has helped her students learn how to recognize and express their emotions, how to initiate and maintain conversations, and how to cope with frustration and anxiety.
Bostic also said that Milo has helped her students become more confident and motivated. She said that some of her students who were shy or reluctant to speak have become more vocal and engaged after working with Milo. She also said that some of her students who had behavioral issues have shown improvement after learning from Milo.
Bostic said that she plans to continue using Milo as a tool to help her students achieve their goals and reach their potential. She said that she hopes that other schools will also adopt Milo and see the benefits of using robotics and curriculum programs for students with autism.
RoboKind is committed to helping children with autism learn key skills that can improve their lives. RoboKind offers a range of robots and curriculum programs that are based on proven therapy methods and aligned with state standards. RoboKind also provides professional development and support for educators who want to implement their programs.
Click here to meet Milo and his friends
Original Story here
