End-User Development in Speech Therapies: A Scenario in the Smart Home Domain

Abstract

Smart home systems allow the connection and the communication between different Internet of Things devices under the same environment. Those are commonly used to support people in their daily life, but most of them have more than just “leisure or fun” purposes. As a matter of fact, if correctly configured, the smart home and all the devices connected to it, can assist people in medical contexts. In this paper we propose a scenario where the smart home acts as active supporter and as an “emotion generator” for children with speech problems and that follow a specific speech therapy. As a matter of fact, emotions and speech capabilities are strictly connected in babies and young boys. The smart home environment can orchestrate the global devices functioning and improve the children emotional involvement in such therapy. On the other side, the speech therapist, through the EUD, can organize the smart home behaviour to better support the child.