Language is fundamental to human communication, allowing individuals to express and exchange ideas, thoughts, and emotions. In early childhood, some children experience communication disorders that impede their ability to articulate words correctly, posing significant challenges to their learning and development. This issue is exacerbated in developing countries, where limited resources and a lack of technological tools hinder access to effective speech therapy. Traditional speech therapy remains vital, but the latest technological advancements have introduced robotic assistants to enhance therapy for communication disorders. Despite their potential, these technologies are often inaccessible in developing regions due to high production costs and a lack of sustainable manufacturing models. For these reasons, this paper presents “FONA,” a robotic assistant that employs rule-based expert systems to provide tactile, auditory, and visual stimuli. FONA supports children aged 3 to 6 in speech therapy by delivering exercises such as syllable production, word formation, and pictographic storytelling of various phonemes. Notably, FONA was successfully tested on children with cochlear implants, reducing the number of sessions required to produce isolated phonemes. The paper also introduces an innovative analysis of the Make To Order (MTO) manufacturing system for producing FONA in developing countries. This analysis explores two key perspectives: collaborative networks and entrepreneurship, offering a sustainable production model. In a pilot experiment, FONA significantly improved children’s attention spans, increasing the period by 17 min. Furthermore, the economic analysis demonstrates that producing FONA through collaborative networks can significantly reduce costs, making it more accessible to institutions in developing countries. The findings suggest that the project is viable for a five-year period, providing a sustainable and effective solution for addressing communication disorders in children.
The problem of stunting is not only related to children’s short height, but also has an impact on high morbidity rates, due to long-term nutritional deficiencies. which hinders motor and mental development in children. The objectives of this research are: 1) to understand household food security, 2) to understand the eating habits of pregnant women and toddlers regarding existing belief systems and traditions, and 3) to understand resilience mechanisms in overcoming food emergencies to prevent stunting. The data collection process uses a mixed methods approach by combining qualitative and quantitative research. The research results show that the determining factor for the incidence of stunting in coastal areas of Indonesia is the lack of household food availability due to subsistence economic life which then has an impact on eating behavior in the household, namely the lack of quality and quantity of the types of food consumed. daily. Apart from that, there is still a lack of understanding by pregnant women regarding the importance of providing complementary breast milk food to toddlers, low literacy of food diversity among toddlers, and low public trust in the importance of immunization. Furthermore, the high rate of early marriage in society and the limited awareness of using clean water is caused by a philosophy that still considers rivers as a source of life, so the water is used for consumption. Apart from that, socio-cultural mechanisms as a strategy to resolve the problem of food shortages have not yet been implemented.
Interconnected components of holistic development, such as being thankful, addressing basic psychological needs, and acting effectively toward others, should be a priority for college athletes. Athletes at the College level need all-encompassing support systems to ensure their health, happiness, and success because of the special difficulties they have juggling their academic, athletic, and personal schedules. Problems with work-life balance, stress, and performance expectations all impede College Student Athletes’ holistic development. A thorough plan that considers all of the social, emotional, and psychological aspects impacting athlete development is necessary to overcome these obstacles. An Integrated Holistic Development Program for College Athletes (IHDP-CA) is suggested in this paper as a method that incorporates various aspects of positive psychology, mindfulness, resilience training, and the enhancement of interpersonal skills. Athletes at the College level can benefit from this all-encompassing program’s emphasis on helping others, developing an attitude of gratitude, and meeting basic psychological requirements. Sports counseling services, schools, and College athletic teams can all benefit from the IHDP-CA. A more positive and supportive sporting environment can be achieved when the program takes a more holistic approach to athletes’ needs, improving their mental health, social connections, and overall performance. The possible effect of the IHDP-CA on the holistic development outcomes of College Student-Athletes will be predicted through simulation analysis. To gain a better understanding of the program’s long-term viability, efficacy, and scalability, this analysis will run simulations of different situations and tweak program settings.
This study examined the impact of transition programs on the post-school outcomes of Saudi adolescents with special needs. The study examines the impact of vocational training, career counseling, and community participation on job outcomes, the pursuit of further education, and the acquisition of independent living skills. The research is conducted on a diverse sample of 500 students (260 girls and 240 boys). The data is analyzed using descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and ANOVA, revealing positive perceptions of transition services and identifying significant predictors of post-school performance. Post-hoc testing enhances understanding of nuanced differences between groups. The findings underscore the need for tailored transition programs that prioritize the extent of vocational training and apply culturally responsive approaches. Proposed approaches include enhancing vocational training programs, enhancing career counseling services, encouraging community involvement, and performing continuous research and evaluation. This study makes substantial additions to the current corpus of knowledge and provides crucial information to influence policy and practice in Saudi Arabia.
This study fills a significant need in the literature by exploring the efficacy of wearable technologies as helpful aids for special needs students in Saudi Arabia. This 12-month quantitative study used a purposive sample of 150 kids representing a range of disability classifications. This study examines the effects of wearable technology, such as smartwatches and augmented reality goggles, on students’ concentration and performance in the classroom. Wearable technology offers great promise, as descriptive statistics show that the experimental group had better involvement and academic achievement. The experimental and control groups vary significantly in terms of academic performance and engagement, as shown by independent samples t-tests. Wearable technology’s distinct benefits are further shown by regression analysis, which shows a favorable correlation with academic achievement after the intervention. According to the results, wearable tech has great promise for inclusive education in Saudi Arabia. Strategic integration, teacher professional development, ongoing research, better accessibility, and wearable gadget customization are some of the suggestions. Stakeholders may use these recommendations as a road map to build a welcoming and technologically sophisticated classroom. This study adds to the growing body of knowledge on assistive technology, especially in Saudi Arabia, and has important implications for academics, politicians, and educators.
In the recent years, with global warming and the change in climatic characteristics, buildings and interior arrangements in dry and cold climates, that previously did not have cooling problems, now require built and pre-planned cooling systems as well as heating. On the other hand, the enormous increase in energy consumption and the rapid depletion of energy resources causes concern and anxiety for future generations. In this regard, utilizing natural resources and incorporating sustainable solutions into building design are critical. Vernacular technical systems and design ideas can still be accepted and applied to create sustainable solutions. In this context, design strategies for energy efficiency and provision of physical and spatial comforts could be considered based on traditional architecture. In this study, sustainable building design solutions that have been used in Iran’s vernacular houses, which has four distinct climate zones, aimed to create a paradigm for the general modern passive house designs in the global context. Traditional Iranian residential architecture incorporates architectural features for physical, spatial, and climatic needs, as well as aesthetic comfort for the user. In this manner, user needs and interior space organization in vernacular residential architecture can be considered as a sustainable housing model that meets today’s technology requirements in passive house design.
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