Historically associated with the technical rigor of exact sciences and theoretical discussions, the Polytechnic School of USP is opening its doors to diversity.
Through the "Digital Platform for Autistic Society," a research and innovation project, students and professors are trading traditional bench tests for the creation of technological prototypes, training programs, and tools that seek to improve the lives of neurodivergent people.
One of the initiatives is a job market training course, carried out through a university extension project. In this program, held on the São Paulo campus, 50 autistic students across all three levels of support needs work with artificial intelligence tools, spreadsheets, and other technologies.
The training ends in late September, and students who are already working at partner companies will receive follow-up support for an additional three months.
Renata Borga Casella, 30, who is taking part in the workshop, holds a degree in biomedicine and says she plans to try transitioning into the technology field. "I really enjoyed learning PowerPoint, Excel, and how to use Gemini."
On another inclusive front, professor and collaborative researcher Emanuel Santana, who has two autistic sons, developed a national model of an augmentative and alternative communication board for people on the spectrum or with speech difficulties, called Adapte Board.
The national model can be downloaded for free on smartphones and computers. It uses pictures and visual cues to facilitate interaction for more severely autistic individuals and can be customized by the user and sent to whoever they wish to communicate with.
"We put accessibility in the palm of the person's hand, on the device they already own. It was designed to be long-lasting and far more sustainable than imported models," says Emanuel.
The inclusive movement has brought professionals from other fields into exact sciences activities. One of them is Eduardo Mancebo, an architect by training from FAU-USP (the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of São Paulo), who has spent 25 years specializing in the practical guidance of individuals on the spectrum.
He helped computer engineering student Lucas Felipe Pereira Domingues develop a device, supported by artificial intelligence, that helps autistic people compose music in a therapeutic and educational way. The program assists users from the initial idea for song lyrics all the way through the creation of a melody and, finally, the delivery of a finished piece of music.
Since AI audio generation takes around two minutes, the creators realized that leaving the user waiting in front of a static screen caused sensory discomfort and anxiety. They therefore integrated a bubble-popping game and a guided breathing exercise into the loading screen.
"We have to generate an impact so that society grows with us and with our students. In doing so, you gain two things: the student begins to become a citizen and thinks, from the very start of their education, about how they could truly help society, rather than drifting into scientific dreams of ethereal applications," says professor Jorge Luis Risco Becerra, from Poli, one of those responsible for the initiative.
Other technologies
With greater knowledge about autism, students in a digital circuits course were challenged to develop technologies that could be useful in the daily lives of this population. They visited a neurodivergent support unit and, earlier this year, presented 24 innovations at a knowledge fair.
Among the initiatives is SensiLogic, a bracelet that monitors heart rate and translates stress signals into visual alerts. Another is Aces, which focuses on the environment, identifying frequencies and noises capable of causing sensory discomfort.
Communication appears in distinct ways in Expressa and LiteralMente. The first allows people who do not communicate verbally to form messages through words selected using physical buttons. The second works on a less obvious layer of language, interpreting intonations, intentions and meanings not expressed literally. Together, the projects address both the ability to express oneself and the ability to understand what the other person intends to communicate.
Aventura Financeira broadens the field of accessibility by proposing the learning of financial choices through an electronic board game. By simulating decisions related to work, study, expenses and consumption, the game shows that inclusion is not limited to clinical or academic adaptations: it also involves preparing children and adolescents for practical life situations.
"The students managed to create artifacts that could become real-use prototypes," says Becerra.
