Robot assisted therapies for disabled children Erasmus Project

Project Title

Robot assisted therapies for disabled children

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Disabilities – special needs

Project Summary

“The main target group of the program “Robot assisted therapies for disabled children” is disabled children, along with educators, special education teachers, psychologists and rehabilitation specialists. In course of the project, we implement our innovative idea, considered unique in pedagogy, with the cooperation of organizations of three countries and under the professional guidance of Csodavár Alapítvány (Foundation of Early Intervention Center Csodavár). For developing the method, we basically take the special education approach as a starting point, in addition, the organization Caritas Satu Mare provides the rehabilitation, neurological and pediatric aspects and the Kosice-based foundation Talentum (Slovakia) provides its high level of professional knowledge and experience in the field of hardware and programming.
The development of children and the development of functions are always unique and complex, whether they are disabled or non-disabled children. We can support the development and strengthening of abilities and skills by various intervention activities. For a successful intervention, the interests, strengths and weaknesses of children shall be taken into account to the maximum extent. We need to choose such tools that can help each child to participate in the intervention process in accordance with his or her age, individual abilities and pace of development. It shall be a tool that arouses and maintains the interest of children and encourages physical activity. It is an advantage if it develops children’s abilities in a complex way.
A robot is a toy that meets these requirements, but buying a robot is not a solution in itself, a methodological recommendation and presentation is required for it as well. Our online interface and booklets serve this purpose. The areas to be developed cannot be completely separated, especially in early childhood, but with certain types of task it is possible to concentrate on the development of the disability. Our aim is to give ideas and inspiration to special education teachers and parents about the use of floor robots in playful interventions and to provide help by introducing a tool, by which highlighting a specific area, we can support the development of children in a complex way. Furthermore, in the future, we would like educators to be able to upload more booklets to the online interface developed by us.
During the 24 months of our program, we will prepare a basic methodological manual, online interface and downloadable booklets in four languages (Hungarian, Romanian, Slovak and English), which will primarily help the development of basic skills and competences of children with disabilities. Robot-assisted therapies, like animal-assisted therapies, will complement the interventions that children receive in public education facilities, development facilities and children’s rehabilitation facilities. In addition, our aim is to create a robot that says certain instructions in Hungarian, which is accompanied by a manual on how to build the robot and control software that contains Hungarian audio files.
We use robot technology in the program, which is completely unique in this field at this age. Anyone can access the development, and during the program, we try to identify hardware devices, the costs of which are the lowest possible, in this way keeping the entry threshold for joining the program low.
During the 24 months of the program, our aim is to ensure the highest quality of our activities. Following a needs assessment, in course of the preparation of the basic methodological manual, online interface and booklets, we involve parents, children and educators several times in testing to be able to create a product that is well-established, actually usable in everyday life and easy-to-use. We also plan our dissemination activities to be able to spread the message of our project as widely as possible from the start of the program to establish the introduction of robot-assisted therapies both at national and international level.
At the end of the program, a closing conference will be held in all three countries, and – in line with our other dissemination activities – we would like to launch a wide-ranging new therapeutic method. In recent years, the use of advanced digital technology in the field of education and health care has started in many areas, and we hope that our project will help these advanced technologies to start to gain ground in the development of people with disabilities.”

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 240690 Eur

Project Coordinator

Csodavár Alapítvány & Country: HU

Project Partners

• Nadácia Talentum Cassoviensis Alapítvány
• Asociatia Organizatia Caritas a Diecezei Satu Mare