California library uses robots to help kids with autism learn and connect with the world around them

At a library in Southern California, robots aren't cold and scary: They're providing the interaction some of the library's youngest patrons are craving. For four-year-old Luke Sepulveda, finding a friendly robot at the Santa Ana Public Library was the start of a futuristic friendship. She wants him to be able to communicate with the world around him, she said, and the library's robot helps him do that. The robots in the library have been specially programmed to teach children with autism. Larry Singer, a senior tutor at the library, said that the robots work as a tool because of their consistent behavior. "Human beings have emotions. Human beings get tired. Human beings get frustrated. A robot same response every single time," Singer said. About one in 36 children in the United States is on the autism spectrum, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but the Santa Ana Public Library is one of the first libraries to provide the pricey program for free.

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