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Robot-assisted therapy for children with autism spectrum disorders
Abstract and Figures
Our research is the exploration of the social effects of human-robot interaction (HRI) on children with ASD, a population that has deficiencies in many types of social behavior. Computers and robots have been shown to be a catalyst for increased social interaction in children with ASD, yet that effect requires further study to be effectively employed as a therapeutic intervention.
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... The most significant advantages of this device are the physical appearance and some technological features. With reference to physical appearance, QTRobot has more closely related human features, with different levels of motion which allow for an easier identification of social actions and expressions, facilitating the transfer of skills learned in the human-robot context to a human-human interaction [4,[24][25][26]. QTrobot is built precisely to a child's physical dimensions; it moves its arms with multiple DOF. ...
... From a researcher's point of view, robot systems must have numerous capabilities, such as: sensing and interpreting the child's actions; full autonomy within the experimental scenario setting; collecting and processing data over time; evaluating the interaction in terms of the quantity and quality of behaviors; altering behavior based on parameters chosen by the researcher or experimenter; and flexibility in the programming [25]. Again, the NAO and QT robots are equipped with a platform for researchers; however, further developments are needed in order to make these platforms more flexible. ...
Robot-assisted therapy (RAT) is a promising area of translational neuroscience for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). It has been widely demonstrated that this kind of advanced technological tool provides a reliable and efficient intervention for promoting social skills and communication in children with ASD. This type of treatment consists of a human-assisted social robot acting as an intervention mediator to increase competence and skills in children with ASD. Several social robots have been validated in the literature; however, an explicit technical comparison among devices has never been performed. For this reason, in this article, we provide an overview of the main commercial humanoid robots employed for ASD children with an emphasis on indications for use, pitfalls to be avoided, and recent advances. We conclude that, in the near future, a new generation of devices with high levels of mobility, availability, safety, and acceptability should be designed for improving the complex triadic interaction among teachers, children, and robots.
... En (Feil-Seifer & Mataric. 2008;Kouroupa, A., et al., 2022) se presentó una revisión sistemática y un metaanálisis de estudios Gil-González, Márquez Sánchez & Corchado que evaluaban el uso de los efectos sociales de la interacción humano-robot (HRI) en la terapia de niños con trastornos del espectro autista (TEA). Los estudios que evaluaron el uso de robots en la rehab ...
Se ha demostrado que la terapia con muñecos tiene múltiples beneficios en las personas con demencia, como la reducción de los síntomas psicológicos y conductuales, el aumento de la motivación y la iniciativa, la mejora de las habilidades comunicativas y el bienestar, el mantenimiento de las capacidades cognitivas y psicomotoras, así como el fomento de la autonomía y el empoderamiento del usuario. En general, esta terapia puede mejorar significativamente la calidad de vida de las personas con demencia y ayudarles a mantener sus conexiones con el entorno. Este trabajo describe un prototipo de muñeco terapéutico, que hemos llamado i-Teddy. Dicho prototipo incorpora diferentes elementos de sensorización que permiten proponer una herramienta útil, de bajo coste y muy versátil para abordar diferentes patologías para llevar a cabo programas diseñados por médicos, enfermeras y trabajadores sociales en la aplicación de terapias no farmacológicas. Asociado al peluche, se diseñó una aplicación móvil para que los especialistas pudieran programar dicho muñeco en función de las características personales de los usuarios y facilitase a los profesionales la generación de informes. El prototipo desarrollado, muestra que es posible el abordaje de modelos de terapia no farmacológica uniendo tres campos muy importantes la Robótica terapeútica o roboterapia con la muñecoterapia o Doll Therapy en inglés y la computación afectiva.
... Social robots significantly boost engagement among individuals with intellectual disabilities [5]. Socially assistive robots improved social behaviors and engagement levels [4], and their role in therapeutic interventions maintained attention and fostered positive interactions [9]. ...
Extended abstract from the 17th International Workshop on Human-Friendly Robotics (HFR 2024)
... As there is growing awareness about the importance of a more naturalistic approach in ASD intervention, we decided to exploit the motivation given by technological tools to create a triadic interaction, where the robot, the child, and an early interventionist interact. To the best of our knowledge, a few studies have shown the use of humanoid robots in triadic therapies with ASD children (53)(54)(55), and none of them have focused on gesture training. ...
Background
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication, social interaction, and restricted behaviors. The importance of early intervention has been widely demonstrated, and developmental trajectories in ASD emphasize the importance of nonverbal communication, such as intransitive gesture production, as a possible positive prognostic factor for language development. The use of technological tools in the therapy of individuals with ASD has also become increasingly important due to their higher engagement and responsiveness to technological objects, such as robots.
Materials and methods
We developed a training protocol using the humanoid robot NAO, called IOGIOCO (Interactive mirroring Games wIth sOCial rObot), based on the use of intransitive gestures embedded in naturalistic dialogues, stimulating a triadic interaction between child, robot and therapist. The training was divided into six levels; the first 2 levels were called “familiarization levels,” and the other 4 were “training levels”. The technological setup includes different complexity levels, from mirroring tasks to building spontaneous interactions. We tested the protocol on 10 preschool children with ASD (aged 2–6 years) for 14 weeks. We assessed them at recruitment (T0), at the end of training (T1), and after 6 months (T2).
Results
We demonstrated the tolerability of the protocol. We found that one group (n=4, males and 2 females) reached the training level, while another and group (n=6 males) remained at a familiarization level (mirroring), we analyzed the results for the two groups. In the group that reached the training levels, we found promising results, such as an improvement in the Social Adaptive Domain of the ABAS-II questionnaire between T0 and T2.
Conclusion
While current results will need a Randomized Controlled Trial to be confirmed, the present work sets an important milestone in using social robots for ASD treatment, aimed at impacting social and communication skills in everyday life.
... A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that evaluated the use of the social effects of human-robot interaction (HRI) in therapy for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) was presented in [6][7]. Studies that evaluated the use of robots in postaccident rehabilitation were presented in [8][9]. ...
Doll therapy has been shown to have multiple benefits in people with dementia, including reducing psychological and behavioral symptoms, increasing motivation and initiative, improving communication skills and well-being, maintaining cognitive and psychomotor abilities, and promoting user autonomy and empowerment. Overall, this therapy can significantly improve the quality of life of people with dementia and help them maintain their connections with their environment.
This work describes a prototype of a therapeutic doll with sensorization elements that allows us to propose a useful, low-cost, and highly versatile tool to address different pathologies without the use of drugs to carry out programs designed by doctors, nurses, and social workers. Associated with the soft toy, a mobile application was designed so that specialists could program the doll based on the personal characteristics of the users and generate reports.
... Im Gegensatz zu bisherigen therapeutischen Ansätzen soll diese Roboterplattform in Gestalt des humanoiden Roboters Pepper in der Lage sein, auf der Basis von Mimik, Sprache und Puls des Kindes dessen Emotionen zu erkennen und ein Echtzeitfeedback zu generieren [1]. So kann das Robotersystem das Kind dabei unterstützen, die Emotionen seines Gegenübers selbst richtig zu erkennen und darzustellen und so die sozio-emotionalen Kompetenzen des autistischen Kindes steigern [2,3,4,5,6]. Da ein derartiges System Konfliktpotenziale und Akzeptanzrisiken birgt, sind eine frühzeitige Nutzereinbindung und Evaluation der ethischen, sozialen und rechtlichen Implikationen (ELSI) sowie deren Berücksichtigung im weiteren Projektverlauf unerlässlich [7]. ...
ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Der Einbezug ethischer, sozialer und rechtlicher Aspekte (ELSI) stellt inzwischen eine feste Größe für die Entwicklung von Mensch-Roboter-Interaktionssystemen dar, da sie einen zentralen Beitrag zur Akzeptanz solcher Systeme durch die Nutzer und damit eine erfolgreiche Implementierung leisten. Der vorliegende Beitrag zeigt am Beispiel des Forschungsprojekts »ERIK«, wie ethische, soziale und rechtliche Aspekte und Akzeptanzrisiken im Rahmen von Akzeptanz-Risiko-Workshops nutzerzentriert erhoben wurden und wie deren Bewertung im Rahmen eines Online-Fragebogens erfolgte. Durch die Vorgehensweise konnten ethische, soziale und rechtliche Aspekte mit hohem, mittlerem und niedrigem Akzeptanzrisiko seitens der potentiellen Nutzer identifiziert werden, die nun in der weiteren Entwicklung des Forschungsprojekts berücksichtigt und in den Evaluationsprozess einbezogen werden können.
... El corolario es que el uso apropiado de las nuevas tecnologías puede ser un apoyo para la educación y para el tratamiento de TEA, siempre que se sea consciente de cuándo retirar el apoyo (Kandalaft et al., 2013;Kozima et al., 2007;Feil-Seifer & Mataric, 2008;Wass et al., 2012). La tecnología por sí sola no ayuda, por eso tiene que estar mediada por personas para lograr vincularidad. ...
El uso de dispositivos digitales para tratar a personas con trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) tiene buena aceptación, pero hasta el momento no se han registrado investigaciones en Argentina que analicen empíricamente su aporte en cuanto a los comportamientos comunicativos. El objetivo de esta investigación consistió en evaluar la implicación de los dispositivos digitales por lo que respecta a dos parámetros conductuales: la postura y el foco atencional de niños con TEA. Para llevarlo a cabo se analizaron 211 sesiones (vídeos) de 11 niños (edad, Media = 6.45 años, DE = 1.30) durante la utilización de la aplicación AppTEA y dispositivos tradicionales en interacciones con profesionales, en el contexto de unas actividades terapéuticas. Como resultado se encontró que en las sesiones, los niveles y las tendencias de postura y el foco atencional fueron similares, independientemente de los dispositivos empleados. Por lo tanto, si bien las tecnologías y los softwares específicos pueden complementar y apoyar los objetivos terapéuticos, no pueden sustituir el cuidado humano y el apoyo social y terapéutico para los niños.
The article deals with the development of human–robot interaction, where the robot measures the user’s emotional state as well as environmental factors by different devices, and it responds to the user with colorful patterns and controls the smart home through the guidance of the Internet of Things system. Before the design process, robots and their functions currently on the market, the role of emotions in communication, and technologies for measuring emotion (such as face recognition, measurement of heart rate, breath, and physical changes) are presented in detail. The designed robot (Em-Patty) uses a previously developed emotion-based automatic pattern generation system based on a fuzzy system, which is a suitable tool for handling emotions. A main and three fuzzy subsystems are fusioned in order to create the most efficient control system for Em-Patty. The nature-inspired design of the robot is also presented, as well as a description of its behavior with the help of a specific case study.
Evidence-based robotic intervention programmes for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been limited. As yet, there is insufficient evidence to inform therapists, teachers, and service providers on effectiveness of robotic intervention to enhance social development and participation of children with ASD in a real context. This study used a randomised controlled trial to test the efficacy of robotic intervention programmes in enhancing the social development and participation of children with ASD. 60 children with ASD were included. The participants were randomly assigned to the following groups: (1) robotic intervention programme (n = 20), (2) human-instructed programme (n = 20), and (3) control group (n = 20). Both the performance-based behavioural change in social communication and parent-reported change in social responsiveness were evaluated. The participants in the robotic intervention group demonstrated statistically significant changes in both the performance-based assessment and parent-reported change in social participation. Significant differences were found in the communication and reciprocal social interactions scores between the experimental group and the control and comparison groups in the performance-based assessment (p < 0.01). The effectiveness of robotic intervention programme to enhance the social communication and participation was confirmed. Future studies may also consider adding a maintenance phase to document how the effects of the intervention carry over to the participants over a longer period. (Clinical trial number: NCT04879303; Date of registration: 10 May 2021).
The purpose of this study was to assess whether children with autism could be taught a child-initiated query as a pivotal response to facilitate the use of grammatical morphemes. Data were collected within the context of a multiple baseline design across two children who lacked the use of temporal morphemes. Results of the study indicated that both children learned the self-initiated strategy and both acquired and generalized the targeted morpheme. Additionally, generalized use of the self-initiation into other question forms and concomitant increases in mean length of utterance, verb acquisition, and diversity of verb use occurred for both children. These generalized effects and the applications of this procedure across linguistic targets are discussed.
This article presents a longitudinal study with four children with autism, who were exposed to a humanoid robot over a period of several months. The longitudinal approach allowed the children time to explore the space of robot–human, as well as human–human interaction. Based on the video material documenting the interactions, a quantitative and qualitative analysis was conducted. The quantitative analysis showed an increase in duration of pre-defined behaviours towards the later trials. A qualitative analysis of the video data, observing the childrens activities in their interactional context, revealed further aspects of social interaction skills (imitation, turn-taking and role-switch) and communicative competence that the children showed. The results clearly demonstrate the need for, and benefits of, long-term studies in order to reveal the full potential of robots in the therapy and education of children with autism.
The aurora project is investigating the possibility of using a robotic platform as a therapy aid for--children with autism. Because of the nature of this disability, the robot could be beneficial in its ability--to present the children with a safe and comfortable environment and allow them to explore and learn--about the interaction space involved in social situations. The robotic platform is able to present--information along a limited number of channels and in a manner which the children are familiar with--from television and cartoons. Also, the robot is potentially able to adapt its behaviour and to allow the--children to develop at their own rates. Initial trial results are presented and discussed, along with the--rationale behind the project and its goals and motivations. The trial procedure and methodology are--explained and future work is highlighted.
Social robots recognize and respond to human social cues with appropriate behaviors. The capabilities used to build social robots can be uniquely applied to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of autism, a pervasive developmental disorder which results in selective impairment of social abilities. This paper outlines some of the ways in which social robots can provide unique perspectives to address critical problems in diagnosing autism. We provide preliminary data and observations on how this result can be achieved based on three years of immersion in a clinical research group that performs diagnostic evaluations of more than 130 children per year.
This paper presents the design process of a spherical robot capable of autonomous motion, and demonstrates how it can become a tool in child-development studies. The robot, named Roball, is capable of intentional self-propelled movements and can generate various interplay situations using motion, messages, sounds, illuminated parts and other sensors. Such capabilities allow Roball to interact with young children in simple and interesting ways, and to provide the potential of contributing to the development of their language, affective, motor, intellectual and social skills. Trials done with 12-24-month-old children demonstrate how Roball can be used to study children's interest in a self-propelled and intentional device. An experimental methodology to conduct such studies is presented: it is based on quantitative and qualitative techniques to evaluate interactions, thus enabling the identification of challenges and opportunities in child-robot interaction studies.
The paper proposes possible use of interactive robots in the remedial practice for children with autism, who have difficulties mainly in interpersonal communication. For this purpose, we built a small creature-like robot, Keepon, which was carefully designed to get autistic and non-autistic children involved in playful interaction. We observed how autistic children (2-4 years old) interacted with Keepon without any experimental setting or instructions in a playroom at a day-care center for children with special needs. From the longitudinal observation for a year and a half (totally, over 500 child-sessions), we found that Keepon's simple appearance and predictable responses gave the autistic children a playful and relaxed mood, in which they spontaneously engaged in dyadic play with Keepon, which would then expand into interpersonal communication where Keepon worked as the pivot of triadic play with adults or other children. Each child showed a different style and a different unfolding of interaction over time, which tell us a "story" of his or her personality and developmental profile, which would not be explained thoroughly by a diagnostic label like "autism".
This article addresses design issues that are relevant in the AURORA project which aims at developing an autonomous, mobile robot as a therapeutic tool for children with autism. Cognitive theories of mindreading are discussed and related to the AURORA project. This approach is put in the broader context of interactive environments, which autonomous mobile robots are a special case of. Implications of this research for interactive environments in general, and virtual environments in particular are discussed. Keywords: Human-Robot Interaction, Mindreading, Autism, Rehabilitation, Interactive Environments 1. INTRODUCTION This article discusses the use of interactive environments (software or robotic) as learning and teaching tools for the rehabilitation of children with autism. The discussions draw upon experience gained in the AURORA project, which develops an autonomous, mobile robot as a therapeutic tool for children with autism (Dautenhahn, 1999
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