On the occasion of World Down Syndrome Day on 21 March, the Italian Down Syndrome Association APS-ETS (AIPD), an association that has been promoting respect for the rights of people with Down syndrome throughout Italy for over forty years their inclusion in the company announces the availability of the new Skill ‘Ragazzi in Gamba’, created with the support of Amazon, through the Wertual agency.
Through the new Skill ‘Ragazzi in Gamba’, available on all devices with Alexa integration, users in Italy will be able to listen to interactive stories created by the Italian Association of Downs – whose main theme is autonomy – which they offer girls and boys with Down syndrome, and not only, a useful support for learning and recognizing the appropriate behaviors to adopt in situations where a certain level of autonomy may be necessary.
To start, just say “Alexa, open Cool Guys” and Alexa, with the help of a narrator named Giorgio, will tell stories about what behaviors you can adopt when you’re alone, both in a practical way – for example how you get around the city alone – and in terms of relationships, illustrating how to interact with strangers, in various different contexts. Alexa, through the interaction with the user during the narration of the story, will ask questions asking what is the best solution to the problems described: in fact, in all the stories, Alexa will illustrate to the user the behavior to adopt in each of the situations proposed in stories. The goal is to promote not just mechanical learning, but rather the users’ ability to think: as in real life, even in these stories, Alexa reminds us that there is not always only one right solution and that every action gives rise to one or more consequences in the face of which one must be prepared, possibly knowing how to react and putting aside fears and insecurities.
For the Italian Association of Downs, becoming “smart kids” means being able to get by on their own, and this also means learning to understand when and from whom to get help, integrating one’s skills with those of others Since 1989, the ‘AIPD has developed a project, called Ragazzi in Gamba: once a week, the Boys’ Club, a group of friends aged between 15 and 19, organizes outings to the cinema, bowling or shopping actions similar to those of their peers – and learns in the field how to cope with the situations of common life, recovering a space of independence that is often taken away from him. Alexa, today becomes Ragazzi in Gamba’s voice assistant, telling users the same scenarios of real life and guiding them in reflection, to choose the best path, in every situation.