du app to help special needs children communicate

Dubai - BabNoor makes use of Picture Exchange Communication System

A first of its kind Arabic app that enables easy and effective communication for children with special needs will soon be made available to the public as UAE telecom company du is "developing a full-fledged strategy on how to roll it out in the market".
BabNoor, an Arabic word which means "door of light" in English, makes use of the  Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), an augmentative and alternative communication tool that allows someone to express verbally by pressing a picture icon that will be translated into the spoken Arabic word.
The app is aimed at helping children with special needs express themselves and avoid making them angry and frustrated that may lead to anti-social behaviour.
"As a telecommunications company, we are committed to providing connectivity for all UAE communities. The BabNoor app enables us to take this commitment beyond our scope as a telco, and not only improve communications among the special needs communities in the UAE, but to do it in the Arabic language," said Hala Badri, du executive vice-president of Brand and Communication.
"We believe the app will revolutionise communications and have a positive impact on these communities by becoming an integral part of their lives," Badri added.
BabNoor was pilot-tested at three special needs centres in the country last year, and on Monday du organised an event attended by special needs teachers keen on using the app to benefit their own students.
"The initial feedback from teachers has been very positive," a du senior executive for corporate sustainability told Khaleej Times. "The three centres we've partnered with are showing positive results of how the app is contributing to improving their students' communication needs."
"That is something we will definitely take forward to develop a full-fledged strategy on how to roll this out in the market because we  feel BabNoor app should not just be part of our charity but should also be part of an enterprise in assistive technology market where everyone can benefit from," the official added.
With regards to pricing, he said: "That is something we are not sure about yet. The price and date of launch is still something under discussion but we are definitely looking into making this app available and accessible to more people."
Parent talk
Eman Farid, whose 13-year old son Ahmed is one of the first users of BabNoor, said: "I have witnessed my child's confidence grow, and nothing can make me happier. The BabNoor App has really changed our lives for the better by improving communications among the entire family. I highly recommend it for all families who want to preserve their language and culture while easing the communications with their children."
Farid said her son used an app before "but it was in English and it was difficult for him because he's Arabic speaking. He's now using BabNoor to communicate with us and he's more relaxed because the app is user-friendly. He can now construct a full sentence by pressing several icons."
How about looking for specific things like specific toys, specific place? Farid told Khaleej Times: "It's easy to resolve.  I just take a picture of the specific thing my son is looking for then I upload it  and he just need to press the icon and it will be verbally communicated to us."
angel@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE