Awareness Precedes Action
Awareness is needed, but we need to go one step further...isn’t it getting to a point when we should also be celebrating the breathtaking stories of success of those who have overcome the common challenges of autism? A perfect example is Miss Montana 2012
Somerset, New Jersey (PRWEB) January 29, 2013
Each year, April is observed by the United Nations as Autism Awareness Month. The basic purpose behind the observance is to raise mass awareness about autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and how to improve the quality of life of those living with autism.
“Awareness is needed, but we need to go one step further. While the activities associated with raising autism awareness will remain in practice for justified reasons, isn’t it getting to a point when we should also be celebrating the breathtaking stories of success of those who have overcome the common challenges of ASD? A perfect example is Miss Montana 2012, Alexis Wineman, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 11. Research shows that early detection and intense intervention can be very effective for individuals on the spectrum. WTC’s ANDDS app and iLearnNEarn App series are specifically designed to meet these requirements. ANDDS app is in the clinical trial phase, where we are in process of measuring the accuracy of our screening apps for autistic children. Quite often, the role of family and society cannot be overemphasized when it comes to autism intervention. The support and understanding on how to deal, respond, work, behave and treat individuals on the ASD is very important. If we all work closely with parents, teachers and therapists, we can make a difference in the lives of autistic individuals”, says Nish Parikh, CEO of WebTeam Corporation.
WebTeam Corporation wants to see the world talking more about autism independence than autism awareness, Parikh noted, adding that the very term ‘awareness’ puts a “somewhat negative and fearsome spin to autism and just about anything and everything related to it.”
“Just consider how people talk about cancer awareness or HIV awareness. Do we treat autism in the same way as we treat cancer or AIDS? We don’t and neither should we. Then why to constantly remind the world to be ‘aware’ of a state of living that’s a blessing to so many parents worldwide? These parents are happy that their kids are ‘special’ and that they don’t need any kind of ‘fixing’. What we are doing is giving these parents an opportunity to help their children learn and attain independence as quickly as possible. iLearnNEarn is delivering over 250 hours of supplemental intervention to children with autism every day globally. So far we’ve got the results we’ve been looking for, and we want to keep the hard work going for even better results this year,” he concluded.
The facts and figures show that the company’s CEO is not making empty boasts. In December 2012, the iLearnNEarn Series of Autism apps metered a stunning number of session counts on iOS and Android, crossing the 100,000-session mark for ABA-based intervention. This year up to January 25, the number of sessions played has totaled up to 113, 577 and is expected to pip last month’s counts by some margin.
Dhara Desai, project lead for autism apps development at WebTeam Corporation, said the huge amount of enthusiasm that goes into observing Autism Awareness Month can be channeled into something more action-oriented than thought-oriented. “I’ve been personally meeting parents who firmly believe that Autism is integral to who their children are. It’s not what they have. So on that note, I’d say it’s a unique step to put forward the concept of Autism Independence, just to let the world know that there are possibly more people to savor the joy of autism than to feel alarmed by it.”
Professor Michael Lewis, Director of the Autism Center at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, a consultant for WebTeam, believes that with increased research with both autism screening and intervention now available, great strides can be made for children all over the world to benefit from these new technologies.
“We, at the WebTeam Corporation are trying to empower parents and providers by providing them user-friendly tools to improve joint attention, emotional regulation, social skills and learning of children who are on the autistic spectrum. Most of the tools provide immediate reinforcement on the principles of applied behavior analysis. Many tools record data and provide feedback to parents and teachers. Parent training is an important component of autism management and this year we are going to work on developing training modules for parents in downloadable tools”, said Dr Vidya Bhushan Gupta, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at New York Medical College and a long-time advisor to WTC.
Parikh, together with a team of subject matter experts, app developers and graphic designers, has been busy creating innovative ways to deliver intervention to children, adolescents and adults on the spectrum. WebTeam Corporation pioneered the use of 3D animation to deliver ABA-based intervention. Using the enormous scope of touchscreen technology, the company has come up with COLORS program for kiosk and various apps for autism over the last 5 years.
What apps are available at WebTeam Corporation?
About WebTeam Corporation
Based in Somerset, NJ, WebTeam Corporation (WTC) has been working closely with leading industry experts, researchers and professionals to make a calculable difference in the lives of individuals with autism. The technology-driven company has been developing apps for autism and other special education needs since 2006. Shanesh Colors – WTC's patent-pending technology – has been a buzz on the market of late, offering an innovative special education model to parents, teachers, therapists and professionals involved with the autism community worldwide.
