Granada大學跨學科的一個研究團隊專門為患孤獨癥、唐氏綜合癥、腦癱的年輕病人研發了一種的交流軟件。

這個新系統名叫SC@UT，是一種增強性、適應性的交流系統。此系統是由西班牙Granada大學生理學家、心理教師和語音治療師共同發明的并由José Juan Cañas Delgado教授作為帶頭人。他是實驗心理學和行為生理學教研室的生物工程學教授。

“這個項目是由Andalusia政府促進完成的，試圖減低殘疾人和正常人間的差異，” Delgado教授說，“我們發明的這個工具可以幫助殘疾病人與他們周圍的環境交互。以這種方式，他們接受這個充滿障礙世界的能力將變得非常容易。對于現今的世界來說，社交和勞動是缺少不了交流和教育。”

SC@UT的功能非常簡單：通過個人電腦或個人數字助理(PDA)，家長和教師可以從大學的網站下載免費的特定軟件。之后，該裝置就會成為孩子和社會間交流的工具。歸功于SC@UT項目，孩子可以表達上廁所或吃飯的愿望，以及諸如快樂、悲傷或疲倦。SC@UT包括一個翻譯裝置，可將使用者的要求轉換后供收聽者識別。

Delgado表示當交流增強的時候，殘疾兒童的分裂性行為將減少。作為結果，使用此系統后會消除孤獨癥病人的進攻性。“他們中間的很多人自我傷殘并表現出進攻性的行為主要是由于這些病人不能和其他人很好地溝通。”

此時，對此項目的初始研究正在西班牙南部的16個學校展開。 
 

Autism: New PDA Software Helps Children Communicate

An interdisciplinary research team at the University of Granada has developed a new communication software for young patients with autism, down syndrome, or cerebral palsy.The new system’s name is SC@UT, which stands for Augmentative and Adaptive Communication System. It has been created by a team of psychologists, psycho-pedagogues, and speech therapists at the University of Granada in Spain, headed by professor José Juan Cañas Delgado. He is lecturer of Ergonomics of the department of Experimental Psychology and Behavioural Physiology. 

“This is a project promoted by the Regional Government of Andalusia which attempts to reduce differences between disabled and non-disabled people”, states Delgado. ”We have created a configurable parameter tool that allows disabled people to interact with their environment. In this way, their adaptation to a world full of barriers is much easier. In the present world, social and labour integration is impossible without communication and access to education.” 

The functioning of SC@UT is easy: through a PC or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) parents or tutors can download the specific software from the university’s website for free. After this, the device is ready to be used as a means of communication between the child and society. Thanks to the SC@UT project, the child can express such needs as going to the toilet or hunger, as well as such states as being happy, sad, or tired. SC@UT includes a speaker which transmits the “user’s comments” to the listener. 

Delgado states that when communication improves, disruptive behaviour in disabled children decreases. Consequently, the use of that display could also diminish aggressiveness in autistic children. “Many of them injure themselves and present aggressive behaviour because they become frustrated when they cannot communicate with others." 

At the moment, this initiative has started to work as a pioneering project in 16 schools of the Southern Spanich provinces of Granada and Jaen.