Research Group to Aid Child Development

A better future for the children, a better future for the country.....

I lead a research team that conducts research funded by Child Development Unit, Chattagram Maa-O-Shishu Hospital aiming to develop engineering solutions for the welfare and treatment of developmentally delayed children.
A learning kit based on embedded control systems is developed to make the therapeutic procedures much more convenient and fun for the children, their parents and trainers.
The learning kit module and mobile apps are now being widely used by speech, vision and hearing therapists in the Child Development Centre of Chattagram Maa-O-Shishu Hospital.
The goal is to bring a smile and open up a whole new world for the children with special needs....

RGACD learning kit software interface

The RGACD Learning Kit

The RGACD Learning kit is an Micro-controller and Infrared sensor based unique portable, a plug and play styled learning tool targeted towards children with/without special needs to aid their physical and mental growth.
The learning kit currently features various items of various categories. Such as Colors, Shapes, Animals, Daily Objects, Important Dates.
The kit is equipped with 3-D models of everyday objects.
The kit has been developed by closely observing the work of numerous doctors , child therapists, and psychologists and discussing with them. It enhances the therapy process for the children with special needs.

Special Features

The code architecture has been made in such a way that the videos can be updated easily. Thus, we can make the kit suitable for all over the world. It can be used by any culture of the world.
The learning kit contains colorful and fun videos on purpose so that it helps to increase the cognition level of the children with low response.
The videos contains texts which are useful for children with hearing impairment.
The items in the learning kit are in 3D which is beneficial for the visually impaired children. It helps them to get oriented to the shapes of the objects.
The 3D models help the development of fine motor of the children using it.
It also helps the children with speech difficulties by increasing the word stock with related pictures.
Children with Autism are visual learners and this kit helps to increase their cognition as well as communication level.

Performance

The children who were part of our research were enthusiastic towards our kit from the very beginning.
From the experiments done we could see that at most of the cases the kit is successful.
Children with ADHD, Speech delay showed the most positive reactions towards the kit.
Most of the negative responses came from the ASD children but the number still is not high.
The children’s situations force them to be dependent on a trainer or parent to use the kit in the first place. In the beginning the child must need the help of the trainer, therapist or their parents. They must help them until the child gets used to the kit.
we still need to test the kit in a longer time frame. The kit has to be tested on a longer time frame such as 6 months or longer. Thus, we can get the actual efficiency of the learning kit and a learning curve of the children using the kit.

A children using the Kit at Nishpap Austism Foundation in Chittagong

Observation of the Efficiency of the RGACD Learning Kit

Awards and Achievements

One of the top 200 achievers of Joy Bangla Youth Award, 2015.
Best Innovator (Third prize), Solve-A-Thon, Chittagong Division, a2i-Acess to information, Prime minister’s office, 2016
Champion, Youth Fest, Chittagong Division, Bangladesh Brand Forum, 2016
Special Prize, Divisional Science and Technology Fair, Chittagong, 2015
Champion, Project showcasing (Software), Islamic University of Technology, 2014

Comments from Teachers and Therapist

“I have enjoyed a lot. I think Child with Special Need will learn easily in this method. Hope that we will get some more good work from you which will help these children a lot.” -Soma Chakroborty, Vice principal, Nishpap Autism Foundation , Chittagong.
“It has fascinated me. The kids had fun. Please add colorful alphabet, bowl, spoon, vehicles etc.” -Priyanka, Therapist, Nishpap Autism Foundation , Chittagong.
“It will be better if we show the natural things to them. Specially the things which are related to them. It will be more effective.” -Daisy Barua, Speech and Language Therapist, Proyas, Chittagong Cantonment.
“It will be easier to teach if slow and clear pronunciation is used with clear picture.” –Mir Mishkatun Nur, Teacher, Shishu Bikash Autistic School, Chittagong.
“Things of regular use should be included. Because, it is needed for them to learn the words using for daily work rather than anything else.” -Rashmi Chowdhury, Ashar Alo, NGO, Chittagong.

Researchers

Adviser

Dr. Mahmood A. Chowdhury

Professor

Department of Child health, Chattagram Ma O Shishu Hospital Medical College, Chittagong

Group Leader

Kazi Tanvir Ahmmed

Associate Professor

Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331.

Research Associates

Md Rabiul Hossain

Lecturer

Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, Chittagong Independent University, Chittagong

Bhuiyan M Muktashif Anwar

Graduate Student

The University of Toledo, Ohio, USA

Kazi Abu Zubair

Graduate Student

University of Central Florida, Orlando, USA

Sopan Sarkar

Graduate Student

The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville , USA

A.M. Mahmud Chowdhury

Graduate Student

Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea

Sakibul Azam

Graduate Student

Texas Tech University, Texas, USA

Research Assistants

Taskin Muhammad Siham Sayeed

Faisal Bin Kashem

Md. Abdul Kaium Khan

Amlan Joy

Tamjid Rayhan

Towqir Ahmed Shaem

Mohaimanur Rahman Mahim

Abdulla Z Khan Junaid

Activities

Learning Kit and Mobile App Inauguration

Conference Room, Institute of Child Health, Chattagram Ma O Shishu Hospital Medical College, Chittagong.

Date: 6th September 2014.

Invited Talk

International Conference on Physics in Medicine and Clinical Neuroelectrophysiology (PMCN), 2015

Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban, University of Dhaka. Date: 19-20 February 2015.

Press and Media

Acknowledgements

Special Thanks goes to...

Department of Applied Physics, Electronics & Communication Engineering, University of Chittagong.
Nishpap Autism Foundation, Chittagong.
Dr. Bashona Muhuri, Associate Professor, Dept. of child Health, Chittagong Medical College.
Dr. Promugdha Hafiz, Child Health Physician, Child Development Center, Chittagong Medical College.
Janntaul Ferdous Mitool (Ex- Student, Department of Applied Physics, Electronics & Communication Engineering).
Shamsun Nahar Nahid (Senior speech & language therapist, Child Development Center, CMOSGH).

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