Author Archives: wendy

Kaspar the friendly robot helps autistic kids

Eden Sawczenko used to recoil when other little girls held her hand and turned stiff when they hugged her. This year, the 4-year-old autistic girl began playing with a robot that teaches about emotions and physical contact _ and now she hugs everyone.

“She’s a lot more affectionate with her friends now and will even initiate the embrace,” said Claire Sawczenko, Eden’s mother.
The girl attends a pre-school for autistic children in Stevenage, north of London, where researchers bring in a human-looking, child-sized robot once a week for a supervised session. The children, whose autism ranges from mild to severe, play with the robot for up to 10 minutes alongside a scientist who controls the robot with a remote control.

Careline is a lifeline for West Sussex residents

Call centres are normally the last places you want to hear from.

But there is a different kind of call centre in Chichester that has been acting as special link to help people in need for more than 20 years.

Careline has been providing reassurance and emergency assistance for vulnerable people around the district through its various initiatives, such as fall detectors, pull cords, and many more.