EZSpeech by Mila4AI

We're honored to be among such incredible innovators. I applaud everyone who is working on solutions which which will change lives of millions of children!

#EZSpeech has been selected as a finalist for the UCSF-Stanford Pediatric Device Consortium's 2025 Accelerator Pitch Competition! This is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase how our AI-driven approach can potentially make a significant difference in pediatric speech therapy, ensuring more equitable and effective treatment for all children

There has been growing debate in media about the negative impact of screen time on children’s development. Studies suggest that screen exposure may hinder brain development, delay language acquisition, and weaken social skills. While concerns about 2-3 y.o. toddlers spending time on gadgets are valid, we must take a more nuanced approach for children 6+, especially those with developmental challenges. Digital tools, when designed with purpose, can be powerful enablers rather than obstacles. Let me share an amazing case I witness this week in a Development Center for autistic children - A 6 y.o. kid, who typically struggled with social interaction, was deeply engaged in his EZSpeech by Mila4AI session and didn’t want to leave when another child entered for his turn. Instead of disengaging, they spontaneously began collaborating and completing exercises together, helping each other and acting in turns — an interaction that would have been difficult to facilitate through traditional methods. For these kids, technology wasn’t a barrier, for them EZSpeech served as a bridge. This moment underscores a critical shift in perspective: it is not screen time itself, but rather the quality and intent of digital content that determine its impact. So for us in EZSpeech the question is not whether or not kids can use digital tools but rather "How can we use them to unlock their full potential?"

Navigating Ethical Boundaries in Therapy with Innovative Digital Tools As the world of therapy evolves, especially for children and adolescents, integrating digital tools brings both opportunities and challenges. Kids often adapt quickly to these innovations, but therapists – who are incredibly busy and some live in an analog world – face a learning curve. Getting a pilot off the ground is a challenge. So far, most of our pilots have involved children aged 4-8. Recently, we've expanded to working with adolescents, including those with mental health challenges and autism. This group behaves quite differently. We're fortunate to have therapists selecting highly engaged, result-oriented teenagers. Unlike younger kids, teens cannot be easily persuaded to try something they don’t find valuable, but they do understand the purpose of their therapy. Initially, we observed caution, anxiety, and even resistance – but after the very first session, we saw acceptance, engagement and commitment to continue. However, it’s not a simple success story. Parents and therapists sometimes act as bottleneck in the process. While they don’t necessarily stop the teens from engaging, they don’t always actively support their participation either. So, where is the ethical boundary in promoting innovative tools to kids and teenagers in therapeutic settings? Our approach focuses on: - Respecting adolescents' autonomy, ensuring their informed consent in the process. - Educating parents and therapists about the benefits and safety of digital tools. - Ensuring the tools genuinely enhance the therapeutic experience without exploitation or coercion. - Fostering collaboration between tech innovators, therapists, and families to ensure the well-being of the child remains the top priority. What are your thoughts on how we can continue pushing the boundaries of therapeutic innovation while staying ethically grounded? #DigitalHealth #MentalHealth #TherapeuticInnovation #EthicsInTherapy #AdolescentMentalHealth #AutismSupport

Firouza Eshonova had a privilege to present our solution at 2024 Firefly Innovations Showcase organized by Firefly Innovations: The Premier Public Health Entrepreneurship Platform and sponsored by KPMG US and CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy . https://lnkd.in/eHSfWFJm

We hope so and we will do so in the space of special education!

This what we call evidence-based treatment. EZSpeech not only provides real-time feedback tailored to specific error made, but it generates reports to monitor the progress, or deterioration. Conclusion on efficacy of the treatment, if based on compromised data, may be misleading. Patient interviews are great, but perceptions of different patients may differ when in comes to assessment of pain, feelings, comfort or speech. We minimize this risk of subjective interpretation by applying consistent methodology and objective assessment.

We are proud to be part of the program and looking forward to bringing innovations to Public Health

We are honored to be part of CUNY Public Health Innovation Accelerator 2024