It is true that technology has given birth to some groundbreaking revolutions in the healthcare industry and with the advent of artificial intelligence, complex surgeries as well as diseases are now curable and controllable to a great extent! With the healthcare industry booming rapidly, the valuation of the market is expected to boost by a great margin. The global healthcare IT market is predicted to grow to a massive valuation of $974.5 billion by the end of the year 2027. This growth is expected at a compound annual growth rate of 19.8%.
When we talk about mental disorders one of the most common and most concerning ailments is Autism. But first we need to understand what exactly this disorder is.
Autism, also referred to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a developmental disease that involves difficulties in speech, social interaction, and behavior. Autistic people may struggle with social signs such as making direct eye contact and comprehending body language, as well as engaging in repetitive behaviors or having restricted interests. These Symptoms might vary in seriousness from moderate to extreme. Autism is considered to be triggered by a mix of environmental and genetic causes, yet there is no treatment. It is also believed that early diagnosis and assistance, on the other hand, can help people with autism gain abilities and live satisfying lives. However, this disorder can now be controlled and also to some extent can be cured as well. All thanks to Artificial Intelligence! With AI on board, the early diagnosis of autism is becoming possible which itself is a groundbreaking achievement. Machine learning also plays a major role in the development of these applications as it strengthens the AI neural systems and is initiating further evaluation in this development. Many companies are showing interest in this domain and as a matter of fact, have rapidly developed methods via their applications and systems for the early diagnosis of autism. Behavior Imagining and Cognoa are one of the first companies to develop techniques in this treatment and early diagnosis of this disorder. Let us have a look at the techniques and approaches of these companies:
Cognoa: The company has developed applications that work as an autism screening tool. The tool is easily accessible via mobile app stores and is also convenient for parents because of its user-friendly interface. This tool can also be used without the assistance of any professional evaluator. The assessment happens on two parameters where one is multi-choice questions and the other is a video study of the patient.
Behavior Imaging: This company has developed a system which is named the naturalistic Observation Diagnostic Assessment. A special feature of this is that with the help of the algorithms, the parents can now upload their child’s videos and get the observations for it.
With the help of the videos, it is easier for the experts to understand the severity and start an early remote diagnosis. These applications are even equipped to comprehend and evaluate behaviors with the help of algorithms powered by artificial intelligence. However, this application is not yet used for children.
Another aspect that we need to understand when we talk about artificial intelligence and autism is the role of robotics in curing the disorder. One of the most difficulties faced by patients includes sensory challenges, receptive speaking, and hindrance in expression and concentration. Children dealing with autism require special attention from this technology and this is well taken care of by robots. These robots are developed for special one on one interaction with children to understand the conditions of the children and train them with speaking, expressing, and comprehension along with the appropriate response.
If we compare robots with apps powered by artificial intelligence, it is very clear that AI apps are very much more convenient and cheaper when compare with expensive and exclusive robots. These apps are widely available in the market and are equipped to assist therapies including cognitive and behavioral. Apart from this, companies are in fact going along with developing apps that involve simple and easy-to-modify algorithms in order to simplify the user experience. One of the best features of these AI apps for autism is that it offers interactive activities for the patient which are aimed at calming them down and making them respond in a much more stable manner. These apps also take care of the child’s mood swings and based on the study of their mood, it is equipped to provide the necessary activities in order to better understand the child’s behavior.
When we are talking about AI helping in treating autism in patients, we must also take the limitations it implies into account. Let us have a look at some of the major limitations of these AI apps in treating autism:
- Robots and AI apps are undoubtedly not easily affordable for common people.
- The reach of these apps and devices is still not that widespread and it has just begun. Hence, schools and therapists are still testing them and are going through a transition from primitive measures to these high-end models.
- These apps are limited to only those autistic children who are equipped with the ability of reading and write. However, the ones who have difficulty in either of these tasks will not be able to use these apps properly. On top of that, the expectations of these apps are somewhere unrealistic and can not be fulfilled by many children dealing with autism. For example, the app’s reward system expects the patient to be willing to be cooperative throughout and be a little sensible while using it which is not quite possible for most patients.
- The apps aim to equip the children with basic skills including confidence in public interaction as well as improve their facial and eye responses. However, we need to understand that there is a huge number of patients who do not wish to associate with any robot and would choose a human over any tech. Hence, teaching those patients via apps will result in a tough task.
It is quite clear that the world is evolving and rapidly innovating tech towards uplifting and treating the healthcare industry and shaping a brighter future for the coming generations. With AI meeting healthcare, autism is becoming a treatable disorder and patients can now be offered a relatively better lifestyle. There is an utmost need for more dynamic innovation and development in this field in order to create better apps and more accurate devices for people suffering from autism. With these efforts, the healthcare industry will undoubtedly further boost in the coming years which itself will be a massive milestone!
Author- Toshank Bhardwaj, AI Content Creator
