#Taiwan #Kaohsiung #MIRDC #Speech-Language Therapy #AI Interactive Therapy

A Breakthrough in Speech-Language Therapy by MIRDC

The Metal Industries Research & Development Centre (MIRDC) has recently made headlines by securing not one, but two prestigious R&D 100 Awards for 2025. This recognition honors their innovative AI-driven interactive speech-language therapy system, which addresses a critical gap in the care of children with language delays and autism spectrum disorders in Taiwan.

As of now, Taiwan is home to approximately 2,200 licensed speech therapists. Sadly, this number is insufficient to cater to the needs of the hundreds of thousands of children requiring intervention. The shortage of qualified therapists means that many children may miss pivotal opportunities for language development, potentially affecting their communication skills for life. Traditional therapeutic tools largely focus on articulation and pronunciation but fall short in enhancing children’s expressive skills and language comprehension.

In response to this pressing issue, MIRDC’s interactive speech-language therapy system offers a personalized, clinically-grounded, and continuous solution. It combines game-based therapy modules, AI-generated feedback, and post-session language assessments to provide a holistic approach to therapy. The game-like modules incorporate clinically validated strategies, such as imitation exercises, illustrated cards, picture books, and conversational prompts—all crafted into interactive game levels targeting specific therapeutic goals like naming, sentence formulation, comprehension, and response. This structure gives children the opportunity to gradually build their language skills within a sequenced curriculum.

What sets this system apart is its AI-guided module, which interprets a child's responses in real time. This technology generates personalized therapeutic recommendations—ranging from imitation techniques to modeling, expansion, and extension—based on the conversational context. In doing so, it enables children to achieve clear and complete verbal expression. The interactive aspect of the system not only supports routine practice at home but also bolsters parental involvement in the child’s learning journey.

After each therapy session, the system performs an automatic linguistic assessment, gauging performance on 20 objective indicators across semantics, syntax, and pragmatics. This data provides clinicians and parents with clear, factual insights into a child’s progress, ensuring a data-driven approach to therapy efficacy.

Receiving two R&D 100 awards, including a Silver Award for Corporate Social Responsibility, reinforces MIRDC's commitment to advancing inclusive healthcare technologies. This recognition also reiterates the core mission of their project: to help every child find their voice and connect with the world. MIRDC is steadfast in its dedication to fostering digital health solutions that support children's communication and learning through continuous innovation.

In an era where technology can transform traditional domains, MIRDC stands at the forefront, setting a remarkable example of how innovation can be harnessed to improve lives, especially for children grappling with communication challenges.