Speech development app launched on World Autism Awareness Day

April 2, 2024 , 08:50 PM

By Von Belinario

An application called Mylo Speech Buddy was officially launched during the celebration of World Autism Awareness Day. The app is a pioneering Speech Development System designed to assist individuals with speech delays and diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Aiming to aid nonverbal children in developing from zero words to their first word, the app employs a video modeling method and provides clear enunciation guidance for parents, fostering speech development from the comfort of their homes.

To ensure its efficiency in further aiding ASD and speech delay, the team behind the application closely collaborated with speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and medical professionals who prioritize the unique needs of individuals within the autism spectrum. Its team is composed of parents who have personal experience raising children with ASD, coupled with extensive expertise in content development for preschool and special education.

During its launched attended by several media outlets including News5, Vincent Rocha, president and CEO of Mylo Speech Buddy, emphasized the app’s pivotal role within the autism community, “We already know that there is a challenge in the number of experts. We already know that not everyone can afford so with that, we try to solve that problem,” he said. He then clarified that the app has its limitations. “Mylo is not a magic bullet. It is not a one solution to everything but while waiting, may magagawa, so that’s the point of it,” he added.

ASD, commonly known as autism spectrum disorder or simply autism, is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioural challenges, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorder of the National Institutes of Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is a global condition affecting approximately 1% or 75 million individuals worldwide. In the Philippines, around 1.2 million cases of ASD are reported and approximately one in 100 children is diagnosed with autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC. This underscores the scarcity of accessible and affordable occupational and speech therapy services for Filipino parents with children diagnosed with ASD. In his presentation, Rocha mentioned that the number of speech therapists in the Philippines is around 1200, and the cost per hour is Php 1,700. Appointment waiting time for professionals is most likely around six months and the concentrations of therapy centers are in Metro Manila.

Rocha also recalled his personal struggles and the app’s efforts to improve for the autism community. “As a parent of a child with autism, I draw inspiration from the challenges my son, Noah, faced when diagnosed at the age of two,” he explained. “Our mission is to bolster individuals with autism in developing verbal abilities and to foster genuine support within the autism community.”

News5 asked several experts during the launching on the tips and advice that they could give to parents or guardians when using the Mylo app for children in the spectrum. For Teacher Worthy Habla, a speech language pathologist, human connection and interaction is still important when using this application. “It’s not really going to help if you just leave the gadget or device with the child. It is something that should be used by both the child and a parent in order for them to get all the benefits,” he said.

Likewise, Dr. Francis Dimalanta, a developmental and behavioural paediatrician, emphasized that the key to communication is exchange. “Kasi by watching it and not interacting, we don’t have this value of serve and return that’s why it may not work for others. So what’s important is there is something we could try, there’s something new,” he said.

By leveraging the power of technology and compassion, Mylo Speech Buddy aims to pave the way for a brighter future, serving as a collaborative partner in therapy and support.

WATCH: Mylo Speech Buddy

Established in July 2023 by Vincent Rocha, Enrico Aquino, and filmmaker Mark Meily, Mylo Speech Buddy is a rapidly growing Filipino start-up company. It offers an innovative speech development app tailored to assist children with speech delays, especially those on the autism spectrum. The app is readily available for download on both the App Store and Google Play Store platforms.

The company was established to address a personal challenge encountered by its founders, stemming from the scarcity of therapists. This challenge is not unique to local families but is also experienced internationally by those within the Ausome community.

Mylo was also a notable finalist on the 9th season of CNN Philippines’ “The Final Pitch”, a contender in the Department of Trade and Industry backed-SLINGSHOT x Venture Pilipinas Pitch Competition, and 1st runner up at the PLDT and Smart Startup Innovation Challenge.

For more information about the application, visit www.mylo.ph and their social media pages Facebook: www.facebook.com/mylospeechbuddy and Instagram: www.instagram.com/mylospeechbuddy.

Privacy Statement

Our Privacy Commitment

TV5 Network Inc. values and respects your privacy. We are committed to safeguarding your personal data in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and its implementing rules and regulations.

We have developed a Privacy Policy that adopts and observes appropriate standards for personal data protection. While our Privacy Policy sets out the general principles governing the collection, use, and disclosure of our users’ personal information, our Privacy Commitment seeks to inform you more about TV5’s privacy practices.

Why do we collect your personal information (as applicable)?

We may collect and maintain basic information about you as site user of TV5 sites for the following purposes:

To deliver news and updates on current events, sports, esports and entertainment;
To share livestreams of news and sports events;
To understand our viewers’ needs and preferences;
To meet legal and regulatory requirements; and
To perform other processes or disclosures that are required to comply with pertinent laws, rules, or regulations.

Where do we get your personal information?

There are several ways we collect your personal information.

Information that you personally provided.

Most of the personal information we have are those that you have provided us when you:
- Register to our programs or services;
- Inquired, filed a complaint or requested for our services;
- Took part in our research and surveys; and/or
- Became our Partner, Vendor, Contractor or Supplier.

Information we collect during your engagement with us

We also collect information as you use our products and services, like:
- Viewing our websites;
- Activities that are being tracked by our website cookies;
- Calling our hotline;
- Using our apps, websites, and self-service channels and portals; and/or
- Joining our promos, prize raffles, or rewards and loyalty programs.

Information we collect from other sources

Other means of collection of information may be through:
- Our market research initiatives;
- When you visit and use our websites and mobile application; and
- Subsidiaries, affiliates, and third-party business partners to whom you have given consent to share your information to us.

When do we disclose personal information?

There may be instances when we are required to share the information you provided us. In such cases, we ensure that your personal information will be disclosed on a confidential manner, through secure channels and in compliance with the Data Privacy Act and other privacy laws.

We will never share, rent, or sell your personal information to third parties outside of TV5 except in special cases where you have given consent, and in cases described in our privacy policy.

In some instances, we may be required to disclose your personal information to our agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, business partners and other third-party agencies and service providers as part of our regular business operations and for the provision of our programs and services. This means we might share your information with our service providers, contractors, and professional advisers who help us provide our services.

How we protect your personal information

The integrity, confidentiality, and security of your information is important to us. We have implemented technical, organizational, and physical security measures that are designed to protect your information from unauthorized or fraudulent access, alteration, disclosure, misuse, and other unlawful activities.

We also put in effect the following safeguards:

We keep and protect your information using a secured server behind a firewall, encryption and security controls;
We keep your information only for as long as it is necessary for us to (a) provide the products and services that you avail from us, (b) for our legitimate business purposes, (c) to comply with pertinent laws, and (d) for special cases that will require the exercise or defense of legal claims;
We limit the access to your information only to qualified and authorized personnel who are trained to handle your information with strict confidentiality;
We undergo regular audits and rigorous testing of our infrastructure’s security protocols to ensure your data is always protected;
We promptly notify you and the National Privacy Commission when sensitive personal information that may, under the circumstances, be used to enable identity fraud are reasonably believed to have been acquired by an unauthorized person; and
We let you update your information securely to keep our records accurate.

TV5 will not collect, use, or disclose your personal information for any purpose other than the purpose that you may have given your consent for.

What are your choices?

We make sure that we have your consent to continue to collect, use, and disclose your personal information for the purposes that we have identified. We want you to know that you may object or withdraw your consent and/or edit your consent preferences at any time.

If you wish to have access to the personal information in our custody or if you think that the personal information you provided is incomplete, or otherwise inaccurate, you may get in touch with our Data Protection Officer through the contact details provided below. In some instances, we may request for supporting documents or proof before we effect requested changes.

Data Protection Officer
TV5 Network Inc.
Reliance corner Sheridan Streets
Mandaluyong City
tv5dataprivacy@tv5.com.ph

What happens when there are changes in our Policy?

From time to time, we may update our privacy policy and practices to comply with changes in applicable laws and regulatory requirements, adapt to new technologies and protocols, and align with the best practices of the industry.

You will be provided notices if the changes are significant and, if we are required by law, we will obtain your updated consent.