Robots Teach Social Skills, New Stimulant Study, and More: This Week Across the ADD/ADHD Spectrum

Robots Are the Future of Teaching Children Social Skills?

Developers at the University of Southern California are making progress in creating robots to teach autistic children social skills. In tests with a prototype named “Bandit,” researchers found that, under direction and supervision from another room, they could control how a robot teaches a child how to interact with humans. Researchers believe the use of robots is especially promising for kids who struggle with anxiety around interacting with other people. [Source: Disability Scoop]

Stimulants’ Benefits Are Not Just for ADD/ADHD Children, Study Finds

According to a team of Swedish psychiatrists, stimulants may help adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) manage symptoms with few side effects. While stimulant medications have been designed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are in children, the researchers said that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should examine their use in adults. Not all stimulants for ADD/ADHD are approved for adults as the research among older patients lags behind that in children. [Source: Reuters Health]

Autistic Student Named High School Salutatorian

Not everyone knows just how hard children with learning disabilities (LD) struggle to overcome obstacles in school, which is why we were warmed to learn about Eric Duquette’s journey from a non-verbal child to a high school student with the second-highest GPA in a class of 200. Read about his inspiring story and check out the video of his academic accomplishments. [Source: ABC News]

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