SparkBand: Empowering children with autism spectrum disorder

There was a teenager with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Tamimah Sanjarah's neighbourhood. The teenager was around Tamimah's age or perhaps a bit older. He did not attend school and would sometimes run errands like grocery shopping for his family. 

One day, as Tamimah was coming home from school, she saw people teasing and mocking him in the street. Disturbed by the experience, she went home and started researching the issue.

Her research uncovered alarming statistics— about 60% of children with ASD face harassment, and 17% experience sexual abuse. This realisation sparked the idea of a solution: a wristband that acts as a tracker to ensure their safety. Thus, SparkBand was born.

The project aims to support children with ASD by ensuring their safety and empowering them to navigate life with greater independence.

The idea earned Tamimah, a student of Islamic University of Technology, third place in the TBS Graduates Scholar Hunt 2024.

SparkBand is designed to provide immediate assistance in dangerous situations. The device alerts the guardian about the wearer's location, and if the guardian cannot locate them within 15 minutes, an alert is sent directly to the nearest police station. 

Beyond safety, Tamimah envisions a comprehensive digital platform alongside the wristband. This platform would provide children with ASD with tools to learn at their own pace, adapt to social life, and gain the skills necessary to become more independent.

"The purpose of the platform would be to empower them," Tamimah explained. "In most cases, we see children from privileged families getting well taken care of. But what happens to them after their parents pass away? Or to children from less privileged families? Spark will be a customisable platform for all, irrespective of their age, background, or limitations."

Tamimah was inspired by feedback from the judges during the competition. "One unique perspective that I received from the judges was their take on ASD. Since autism happens to be a big spectrum, many of us tend to ignore signs or suppress and hide these. So, while developing the platform, I should take into consideration that everyone gets a safe space for early detection, diagnosis, and analysis."

Through SparkBand, Tamimah aims to create a safer and more inclusive world for children with ASD, bridging gaps in care and support, and paving the way for a brighter future for them.

The Scholar Hunt competition drew 1,548 applications from universities across the country. From this pool, 15 exceptional finalists were selected to compete in the final round, held on 26 October. Among these finalists, nine winners, including Tamimah, received grants of Tk1 lakh each for their socially impactful business ideas. 

The achievement has fueled her determination to bring SparkBand to life. "I am truly proud and thankful for this achievement," Tamimah shared. "This has boosted my drive to develop the idea further and create a real impact."

With the grant money, she plans to work on developing a prototype and assessing its feasibility for practical use. Tamimah, working alone on this project, hopes to begin executing her plans by the first half of next year.

It was the first edition of the Scholar Hunt, a flagship competition organised by The Business Standard in association with TBS Graduates. The competition comprised three categories —  Business Administration, Architecture, and Engineering and Technology — encouraging students to think strategically and creatively while presenting solutions with real-world impact.