Using a Humanoid Robot as a Complement to Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Pilot Study

TLDR: In this paper, the results of a pilot test conducted in a public child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) aimed at exploring whether a social robot could increase engagement and learning achievement in two 9-year-old male children with ASD with accompanying intellectual disability, language and communication impairments, and low adaptive skills.

Abstract: Emerging evidence documents that social robots may increase motivation in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when participating in educational activities. This study reports on the results of a pilot test conducted in a public child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) aimed at exploring whether a social robot could increase engagement and learning achievement in two 9-year-old male children with ASD with accompanying intellectual disability, language and communication impairments, and low adaptive skills. Using an ABA1 single-case design, children participated in educational sessions targeting developmental and social skills (e.g., motor imitation, expressive/receptive language, spontaneous requests). The results indicated that interacting with a social robot enhanced engagement (d = 0.78) and goal achievement in one case (d = 2.19), and only goal achievement in the second case (d = 2). The results from the present investigation are discussed in light of their implications for the design of a more robust translational research protocol aimed at assessing the effectiveness of robot-based ASD intervention scenarios.