Learning platform to help minimally verbal children with autism communicate
Official title: Developing a Learning Platform to Support Minimally Verbal Individuals with Autism
Funded at Young Tech Solutions LLC · NIH-11407400 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new iOS-based platform called Young Speaker aims to help children with autism who are minimally verbal by making personalized AAC practice and video modeling materials quickly.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Young Tech Solutions LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Brookfield, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $313,354 |
| NIH project number | 1R41DC023812-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11407400 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are children with autism who are minimally verbal and use or could benefit from AAC, and their caregivers.
✕Less likely to help
Some children may not benefit if they do not use AAC or if the platform’s format does not align with their communication needs.
What this research studies
This project combines video modeling and AAC in one easy-to-use workflow to create practice materials tailored to a child’s daily routines. Caregivers can build short, child-specific videos using the child’s own avatar and familiar settings, with AI-assisted prompts to guide practice. A lightweight dashboard tracks usage and progress to inform personalized adjustments while protecting privacy. The effort will produce an iPad/web prototype and include formative evaluations to refine the approach. The focus is on real-life routine goals like “more juice” or “go outside,” with the goal of more frequent, motivating practice at home.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, families could have a faster, more personalized way to practice communication at home, improving daily interactions with minimally verbal children.
How similar studies have gone: There is evidence that combining video modeling and AAC can support communication, but this integrated, AI-assisted workflow is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Young Tech Solutions LLC
Brookfield, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Oh, Hyunkyoung — Young Tech Solutions LLC
- Study coordinator: Oh, Hyunkyoung
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Neural roots of how autistic adults understand word meaning
A study to understand how adults with autism process word meanings in the brain, aiming to improve language support.
-
Sleep and daily rhythms and brain development in autism
Aiming to understand how sleep problems and daily activity patterns affect brain growth, thinking skills, daily functioning, and autism symptoms in children.
-
Early sensory development and language in infants/toddlers at risk for autism
A family-friendly study exploring how early sensory responses relate to language development in young children who have siblings with autism.
-
Autism Caregiver Coaching in Africa for Young Children
A Duke University-led project in South Africa aims to help young children with autism by training caregivers to deliver proven coaching strategies through non-specialist providers.
-
Autism and Self-regulation: Remote Testing of Heart-Related Signals in Kids
A study to see if remote testing can safely measure how children with autism and disruptive behavior manage emotions and self-control by tracking heart signals and other markers.
-
Understanding brain signals in autism to identify biologically distinct subtypes
This study uses EEG to link how the brain processes sensory information with behavior in young children with autism and related concerns.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.