This watch is especially for people with autism
In recent years, eHealth has received a huge boost. This can in some cases directly improve people’s health, but it can also provide valuable information about health or mood. Scientists are now testing a biometric wristband that can improve the lives of people with autism. People with autism sometimes get a lot of stimuli from the environment. This can cause anxiety and stress. With a special watch band, it can be seen beforehand which situations make a person with autism anxious or over-stimulated.
Watchband
Advanced sensors in the wristband can give information to a caregiver how this person feels. This allows them to predict when extreme behavior may occur. This way they can respond to this and help those with autism. Proactive action instead of active action.
Physiological changes can be measured with the wristband, such as skin temperature, heart rate and sweating. This information can be seen on an app. The watch bands are meant for people who can not express themselves well what they feel. Carers can also keep track of the moments and locations of increasing stress in people with autism. In combination with notes about noise, light and the temperature of the environment at that time, carers can predict what difficult situations are for the person concerned.
Test
The watch band is currently being tested first by an autistic man in the UK. The parents of this man hope that the watch band ensures that their son does less harm if the stimuli are too high. Scientists and people with someone with autism in the environment want to gain more insight in this way how people with autism experience the world. In the coming period, the watch band will be tested by another seven people with autism.