RE: Robots to Fight Mental Illness

DAB — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:15:45 GMT

I have to admit, since my disability I find it much easier to deal with machines then I do with people. Probably because I find that machines just wait for you to tell them what to do. It provides the illusion that you are still fully in control of your environment. Too often, people tend to demand immediate responses that often just confuse and distract others from their desired thoughts or current focus.

I can see how these robots would be very useful in giving people a single focus on which they are both familiar and comfortable interacting with. I urge everyone who must deal with people dealing with these types of issues to remember that you need to approach those people under these conditions very slowly and from their point of view. If you make a lot of demands of thems or present them with confusing issues, they will just tune you out.

Patiance is greatly required.

DAB