Is Autism Prevalent in India?
18 million people in India are diagnosed with autism.
About 1 to 1.5 per cent of children aged two to nine years are diagnosed with ASD.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD experience myriad difficulties in communicating with others or understanding social cues.

Autistic individuals will soon be able to practice and improve their social skills through realistic conversations with avatars powered by generative AI technology.

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects how people interact and communicate, often hindering diagnosed individuals in social situations. In many cases, autistic individuals struggle to initiate conversations, respond to the initiations and non-verbal cues of others, maintain eye contact, and take on another person’s perspective.

The web-based Skill Coach application developed by Israeli startup Arrows lets users engage in conversations in a variety of scenarios – from chatting with a stranger in a café to making small talk with a work colleague.

Not a single scenario is scripted, and the avatar’s responses vary in each encounter. Users can also set themselves a specific goal, such as learning how to handle disagreements, before the start of a conversation.

Throughout every conversation, the AI platform identifies what it sees as conversational missteps and provides users with real-time recommendations through textual feedback, as well as visual cues that appear discreetly on the screen. These cues include symbols to indicate that the user should elaborate on their most recent remarks (a plus sign) or ask a follow-up question (a question mark).

And as soon as the conversation ends, the Skill Coach app will provide detailed textual feedback such as whether a response was rude and the user should be less direct next time. The AI was trained using a leading, evidence-based international program that aims to enhance the social skills of autistic adults. In the coming months, the web app will be tried out for the first time by early adopters who struggle with social interaction.

Companies, interested to know about AI technology offered by Israel companies, please contact Ms. Kavitha, Trade Officer, kavithas@israeltrade.gov.il