Research and Reports on Robotics and Technology for Autism
The Effectiveness of Using a Robotics Class to Foster Collaboration Among Groups of Children with Autism in an Exploratory Study
By: Joshua Wainer, Ester Ferrari, Kerstin Dautenhahn, Ben Robins
Abstract: This article describes an exploratory study involving the design of an after-school robotics class for groups of children at the higher-functioning end of the autistic spectrum. The aim of the study was to foster collaboration among the children in the context of a class where they programmed Lego robots under the guidance of an experimenter. The class took place once a week over several months and used many different measures to assess the children’s collaborative behaviours. Detailed analysis of behavioural data is presented, and despite the small sample size, our findings suggest that the number of potentially collaborative behaviours the children displayed during a class is more strongly related to the amount of enjoyment the children derived from the classes than to the number of classes in which the children participated. Parallel-run, free-form drawing sessions conducted before certain classes gave some indication that these behavioural changes partly generalized to a different context. Additionally, many of the children in the class either found their experiences in class to be helpful in other social interactions or expected them to be.
Journal: Personal and Ubiquitous Computing
Year: 2010 | Volume: 14, Issue 5 | Pages: 445-455 | doi: 10.1007/s00779-009-0266-z
By: Joshua Wainer, Ester Ferrari, Kerstin Dautenhahn, Ben Robins
Abstract: This article describes an exploratory study involving the design of an after-school robotics class for groups of children at the higher-functioning end of the autistic spectrum. The aim of the study was to foster collaboration among the children in the context of a class where they programmed Lego robots under the guidance of an experimenter. The class took place once a week over several months and used many different measures to assess the children’s collaborative behaviours. Detailed analysis of behavioural data is presented, and despite the small sample size, our findings suggest that the number of potentially collaborative behaviours the children displayed during a class is more strongly related to the amount of enjoyment the children derived from the classes than to the number of classes in which the children participated. Parallel-run, free-form drawing sessions conducted before certain classes gave some indication that these behavioural changes partly generalized to a different context. Additionally, many of the children in the class either found their experiences in class to be helpful in other social interactions or expected them to be.
Journal: Personal and Ubiquitous Computing
Year: 2010 | Volume: 14, Issue 5 | Pages: 445-455 | doi: 10.1007/s00779-009-0266-z
A Survey of Expectations About the Role of Robots in Robot-Assisted Therapy for Children with ASD: Ethical Acceptability, Trust, Sociability, Appearance, and Attachment
By: Mark Coeckelbergh, Cristina Pop, Ramona Simut, Andreea Peca, Sebastian Pintea, Daniel David, Bram Vanderborght
Abstract: The use of robots in therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) raises issues concerning the ethical and social acceptability of this technology and, more generally, about human–robot interaction. However, usually philosophical papers on the ethics of human–robot-interaction do not take into account stakeholders’ views; yet it is important to involve stakeholders in order to render the research responsive to concerns within the autism and autism therapy community. To support responsible research and innovation in this field, this paper identifies a range of ethical, social and therapeutic concerns, and presents and discusses the results of an exploratory survey that investigated these issues and explored stakeholders’ expectations about this kind of therapy. We conclude that although in general stakeholders approve of using robots in therapy for children with ASD, it is wise to avoid replacing therapists by robots and to develop and use robots that have what we call supervised autonomy. This is likely to create more trust among stakeholders and improve the quality of the therapy. Moreover, our research suggests that issues concerning the appearance of the robot need to be adequately dealt with by the researchers and therapists. For instance, our survey suggests that zoomorphic robots may be less problematic than robots that look too much like humans.
Journal: Science and Engineering Ethics
Year: 2016 | Volume: 22, Issue 1 | Pages: 47–65 | doi: 10.1007/s11948-015-9649-x
By: Mark Coeckelbergh, Cristina Pop, Ramona Simut, Andreea Peca, Sebastian Pintea, Daniel David, Bram Vanderborght
Abstract: The use of robots in therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) raises issues concerning the ethical and social acceptability of this technology and, more generally, about human–robot interaction. However, usually philosophical papers on the ethics of human–robot-interaction do not take into account stakeholders’ views; yet it is important to involve stakeholders in order to render the research responsive to concerns within the autism and autism therapy community. To support responsible research and innovation in this field, this paper identifies a range of ethical, social and therapeutic concerns, and presents and discusses the results of an exploratory survey that investigated these issues and explored stakeholders’ expectations about this kind of therapy. We conclude that although in general stakeholders approve of using robots in therapy for children with ASD, it is wise to avoid replacing therapists by robots and to develop and use robots that have what we call supervised autonomy. This is likely to create more trust among stakeholders and improve the quality of the therapy. Moreover, our research suggests that issues concerning the appearance of the robot need to be adequately dealt with by the researchers and therapists. For instance, our survey suggests that zoomorphic robots may be less problematic than robots that look too much like humans.
Journal: Science and Engineering Ethics
Year: 2016 | Volume: 22, Issue 1 | Pages: 47–65 | doi: 10.1007/s11948-015-9649-x
Mapping Robots to Therapy and Educational Objectives for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
By: Claire A. G. J. Huijnen, Monique A. S. Lexis, Rianne Jansens, Luc P. de Witte
Abstract: The aim of this study was to increase knowledge on therapy and educational objectives professionals work on with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to identify corresponding state of the art robots. Focus group sessions (n = 9) with ASD professionals (n = 53) from nine organisations were carried out to create an objectives overview, followed by a systematic literature study to identify state of the art robots matching these objectives. Professionals identified many ASD objectives (n = 74) in 9 different domains. State of the art robots addressed 24 of these objectives in 8 domains. Robots can potentially be applied to a large scope of objectives for children with ASD. This objectives overview functions as a base to guide development of robot interventions for these children.
Journal: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Year: 2016 | Volume: 46, Issue 6 | Pages: 2100–2114 | doi: 10.1007/s10803-016-2740-6
By: Claire A. G. J. Huijnen, Monique A. S. Lexis, Rianne Jansens, Luc P. de Witte
Abstract: The aim of this study was to increase knowledge on therapy and educational objectives professionals work on with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to identify corresponding state of the art robots. Focus group sessions (n = 9) with ASD professionals (n = 53) from nine organisations were carried out to create an objectives overview, followed by a systematic literature study to identify state of the art robots matching these objectives. Professionals identified many ASD objectives (n = 74) in 9 different domains. State of the art robots addressed 24 of these objectives in 8 domains. Robots can potentially be applied to a large scope of objectives for children with ASD. This objectives overview functions as a base to guide development of robot interventions for these children.
Journal: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Year: 2016 | Volume: 46, Issue 6 | Pages: 2100–2114 | doi: 10.1007/s10803-016-2740-6
Reversal Learning Task in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Robot-Based Approach
By: Cristina A. Costescu , Bram Vanderborght, Daniel O. David
Abstract: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) engage in highly perseverative and inflexible behaviours. Technological tools, such as robots, received increased attention as social reinforces and/or assisting tools for improving the performance of children with ASD. The aim of our study is to investigate the role of the robotic toy Keepon in a cognitive flexibility task performed by children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children. The number of participants included in this study is 81 children: 40 TD children and 41 children with ASD. Each participant had to go through two conditions: robot interaction and human interaction in which they had performed the reversal learning task. Our primary outcomes are the number of errors from acquisition phase and from reversal phase of the task; as secondary outcomes we have measured attentional engagement and positive affect. The results of this study showed that children with ASD are more engaged in the task and they seem to enjoy more the task when interacting with the robot compared with the interaction with the adult. On the other hand their cognitive flexibility performance is, in general, similar in the robot and the human conditions with the exception of the learning phase where the robot can interfere with the performance. Implication for future research and practice are discussed.
Journal: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Year: 2015 | Volume: 45, Issue 11 | Pages: 3715-3725 | doi: 10.1007/s10803-014-2319-z
By: Cristina A. Costescu , Bram Vanderborght, Daniel O. David
Abstract: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) engage in highly perseverative and inflexible behaviours. Technological tools, such as robots, received increased attention as social reinforces and/or assisting tools for improving the performance of children with ASD. The aim of our study is to investigate the role of the robotic toy Keepon in a cognitive flexibility task performed by children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children. The number of participants included in this study is 81 children: 40 TD children and 41 children with ASD. Each participant had to go through two conditions: robot interaction and human interaction in which they had performed the reversal learning task. Our primary outcomes are the number of errors from acquisition phase and from reversal phase of the task; as secondary outcomes we have measured attentional engagement and positive affect. The results of this study showed that children with ASD are more engaged in the task and they seem to enjoy more the task when interacting with the robot compared with the interaction with the adult. On the other hand their cognitive flexibility performance is, in general, similar in the robot and the human conditions with the exception of the learning phase where the robot can interfere with the performance. Implication for future research and practice are discussed.
Journal: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Year: 2015 | Volume: 45, Issue 11 | Pages: 3715-3725 | doi: 10.1007/s10803-014-2319-z
Pilot Clinical Application of an Adaptive Robotic System for Young Children with Autism
By: Esubalew Bekele, Julie A Crittendon, Amy Swanson, Nilanjan Sarkar, Zachary E Warren
Abstract: It has been argued that clinical applications of advanced technology may hold promise for addressing impairments associated with autism spectrum disorders. This pilot feasibility study evaluated the application of a novel adaptive robot-mediated system capable of both administering and automatically adjusting joint attention prompts to a small group of preschool children with autism spectrum disorders (n = 6) and a control group (n = 6). Children in both groups spent more time looking at the humanoid robot and were able to achieve a high level of accuracy across trials. However, across groups, children required higher levels of prompting to successfully orient within robot-administered trials. The results highlight both the potential benefits of closed-loop adaptive robotic systems as well as current limitations of existing humanoid-robotic platforms.
Journal: Autism
Year: 2014 | Volume: 18, Issue 5 | Pages: 598-608 | doi: 10.1177/1362361313479454
By: Esubalew Bekele, Julie A Crittendon, Amy Swanson, Nilanjan Sarkar, Zachary E Warren
Abstract: It has been argued that clinical applications of advanced technology may hold promise for addressing impairments associated with autism spectrum disorders. This pilot feasibility study evaluated the application of a novel adaptive robot-mediated system capable of both administering and automatically adjusting joint attention prompts to a small group of preschool children with autism spectrum disorders (n = 6) and a control group (n = 6). Children in both groups spent more time looking at the humanoid robot and were able to achieve a high level of accuracy across trials. However, across groups, children required higher levels of prompting to successfully orient within robot-administered trials. The results highlight both the potential benefits of closed-loop adaptive robotic systems as well as current limitations of existing humanoid-robotic platforms.
Journal: Autism
Year: 2014 | Volume: 18, Issue 5 | Pages: 598-608 | doi: 10.1177/1362361313479454
Social Robots vs. Computer Display: Does the Way Social Stories are Delivered Make a Difference for Their Effectiveness on ASD Children?
By: Cristina A. Pop, Ramona E. Simut, Sebastian Pintea, Jelle Saldien, Alina S. Rusu, Johan Vanderfaeillie, Daniel O. David, Dirk Lefeber, Bram Vanderborght
Abstract:
Background and Objectives: The aim of this exploratory study is to test whether social stories presented by a social robot have a greater effect than ones presented on a computer display in increasing the independency in expressing social abilities of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although much progress has been made in developing interventions to improve social skills of children with ASD, a number of unresolved problems still remain. Social robots received increased attention as assisting tools for improving social skills on children with ASD.
Methods: Twenty children with ASD (age between 4 and 9 years old) were randomly allocated to three groups: control group (n = 7), computer-presented social stories (n = 6), and robot assisted therapy (n = 7).
Results: Overall, our data indicate that using the social robot to implement social story intervention was more effective for improving the independency of expressing social abilities for the participants, than the computer screen.
Limitations: Future studies should include a bigger sample size, more intervention sessions, and a follow-up session in order to see if the effect persists in time.
Conclusions: The preliminary outcomes of this exploratory research provide empirical bases for further investigations regarding the effectiveness of robot assisted therapy in improving social skills for children with autism through future randomized clinical trials.
Journal: Journal of Educational Computing Research
Year: 2013 | Volume: 49, Issue 3 | Pages: 381-401 | doi: 10.2190/EC.49.3.f
By: Cristina A. Pop, Ramona E. Simut, Sebastian Pintea, Jelle Saldien, Alina S. Rusu, Johan Vanderfaeillie, Daniel O. David, Dirk Lefeber, Bram Vanderborght
Abstract:
Background and Objectives: The aim of this exploratory study is to test whether social stories presented by a social robot have a greater effect than ones presented on a computer display in increasing the independency in expressing social abilities of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although much progress has been made in developing interventions to improve social skills of children with ASD, a number of unresolved problems still remain. Social robots received increased attention as assisting tools for improving social skills on children with ASD.
Methods: Twenty children with ASD (age between 4 and 9 years old) were randomly allocated to three groups: control group (n = 7), computer-presented social stories (n = 6), and robot assisted therapy (n = 7).
Results: Overall, our data indicate that using the social robot to implement social story intervention was more effective for improving the independency of expressing social abilities for the participants, than the computer screen.
Limitations: Future studies should include a bigger sample size, more intervention sessions, and a follow-up session in order to see if the effect persists in time.
Conclusions: The preliminary outcomes of this exploratory research provide empirical bases for further investigations regarding the effectiveness of robot assisted therapy in improving social skills for children with autism through future randomized clinical trials.
Journal: Journal of Educational Computing Research
Year: 2013 | Volume: 49, Issue 3 | Pages: 381-401 | doi: 10.2190/EC.49.3.f
Social Robots as Embedded Reinforcers of Social Behavior in Children with Autism
By: Elizabeth S. Kim, Lauren D. Berkovits, Emily P. Bernier, Dan Leyzberg, Frederick Shic, et al.
Abstract: In this study we examined the social behaviors of 4- to 12-year-old children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD; NÂ =Â 24) during three tradic interactions with an adult confederate and an interaction partner, where the interaction partner varied randomly among (1) another adult human, (2) a touchscreen computer game, and (3) a social dinosaur robot. Children spoke more in general, and directed more speech to the adult confederate, when the interaction partner was a robot, as compared to a human or computer game interaction partner. Children spoke as much to the robot as to the adult interaction partner. This study provides the largest demonstration of social human-robot interaction in children with autism to date. Our findings suggest that social robots may be developed into useful tools for social skills and communication therapies, specifically by embedding social interaction into intrinsic reinforcers and motivators.
Journal: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Year: 2013 | Volume: 43, Issue 5 | Pages: 1038-49 | doi: 10.1007/s10803-012-1645-2
By: Elizabeth S. Kim, Lauren D. Berkovits, Emily P. Bernier, Dan Leyzberg, Frederick Shic, et al.
Abstract: In this study we examined the social behaviors of 4- to 12-year-old children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD; NÂ =Â 24) during three tradic interactions with an adult confederate and an interaction partner, where the interaction partner varied randomly among (1) another adult human, (2) a touchscreen computer game, and (3) a social dinosaur robot. Children spoke more in general, and directed more speech to the adult confederate, when the interaction partner was a robot, as compared to a human or computer game interaction partner. Children spoke as much to the robot as to the adult interaction partner. This study provides the largest demonstration of social human-robot interaction in children with autism to date. Our findings suggest that social robots may be developed into useful tools for social skills and communication therapies, specifically by embedding social interaction into intrinsic reinforcers and motivators.
Journal: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Year: 2013 | Volume: 43, Issue 5 | Pages: 1038-49 | doi: 10.1007/s10803-012-1645-2
Robots for Use in Autism Research
By Brian Scassellati, Henny Admoni, and Maja Matarić
Abstract: Research into applying robots as therapy tools has shown that robots seem to improve engagement and elicit novel social behaviors from people (particularly children and teenagers) with autism. Robot therapy for autism has been explored as one of the first application domains in the field of socially assistive robotics (SAR), which aims to develop robots that assist people with special needs through social interactions. In this review, we discuss the past decade’s work in SAR systems designed for autism therapy by analyzing robot design decisions, human-robot interactions, and system evaluations. We conclude by discussing challenges and future trends for this young but rapidly developing research area.
Journal: Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering
Year: 2012 | Volume: 14 | Pages: 275–94 | doi: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-071811-150036
By Brian Scassellati, Henny Admoni, and Maja Matarić
Abstract: Research into applying robots as therapy tools has shown that robots seem to improve engagement and elicit novel social behaviors from people (particularly children and teenagers) with autism. Robot therapy for autism has been explored as one of the first application domains in the field of socially assistive robotics (SAR), which aims to develop robots that assist people with special needs through social interactions. In this review, we discuss the past decade’s work in SAR systems designed for autism therapy by analyzing robot design decisions, human-robot interactions, and system evaluations. We conclude by discussing challenges and future trends for this young but rapidly developing research area.
Journal: Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering
Year: 2012 | Volume: 14 | Pages: 275–94 | doi: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-071811-150036
A Long-Term Study of Children with Autism Playing with a Robotic Pet: Taking Inspirations from Non-Directive Play Therapy to Encourage Children’s Proactivity and Initiative-Taking
By Dorothée François, Stuart Powell, and Kerstin Dautenhahn
Abstract: This paper presents a novel methodological approach of how to design, conduct and analyse robot-assisted play. This approach is inspired by non-directive play therapy. The experimenter participates in the experiments, but the child remains the main leader for play. Besides, beyond inspiration from non-directive play therapy, this approach enables the experimenter to regulate the interaction under specific conditions in order to guide the child or ask her questions about reasoning or affect related to the robot. This approach has been tested in a longterm study with six children with autism in a school setting. An autonomous robot with zoomorphic, dog-like appearance was used in the studies. The children’s progress was analyzed according to three dimensions, namely, Play, Reasoning and Affect. Results from the case-study evaluations have shown the capability of the method to meet each child’s needs and abilities. Children who mainly played solitarily progressively experienced basic imitation games with the experimenter. Children who proactively played socially progressively experienced higher levels of play and constructed more reasoning related to the robot. They also expressed some interest in the robot, including, on occasion, affect.
Journal: Interaction Studies
Year: 2009 | Volume: 10, Issue 3 | Pages: 324-373 | doi: 10.1075/is.10.3.04fra
By Dorothée François, Stuart Powell, and Kerstin Dautenhahn
Abstract: This paper presents a novel methodological approach of how to design, conduct and analyse robot-assisted play. This approach is inspired by non-directive play therapy. The experimenter participates in the experiments, but the child remains the main leader for play. Besides, beyond inspiration from non-directive play therapy, this approach enables the experimenter to regulate the interaction under specific conditions in order to guide the child or ask her questions about reasoning or affect related to the robot. This approach has been tested in a longterm study with six children with autism in a school setting. An autonomous robot with zoomorphic, dog-like appearance was used in the studies. The children’s progress was analyzed according to three dimensions, namely, Play, Reasoning and Affect. Results from the case-study evaluations have shown the capability of the method to meet each child’s needs and abilities. Children who mainly played solitarily progressively experienced basic imitation games with the experimenter. Children who proactively played socially progressively experienced higher levels of play and constructed more reasoning related to the robot. They also expressed some interest in the robot, including, on occasion, affect.
Journal: Interaction Studies
Year: 2009 | Volume: 10, Issue 3 | Pages: 324-373 | doi: 10.1075/is.10.3.04fra
Robotic Assistants in Therapy and Education of Children with Autism: Can a Small Humanoid Robot Help Encourage Social Interaction Skills?
By B. Robins , K. Dautenhahn, R. Te Boekhorst, A. Billard
Abstract: 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 children’s 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.
Journal: Universal Access in the Information Society
Year: 2005 | Volume: 4, Issue 2 | Pages: 105-120 | doi: 10.1007/s10209-005-0116-3
By B. Robins , K. Dautenhahn, R. Te Boekhorst, A. Billard
Abstract: 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 children’s 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.
Journal: Universal Access in the Information Society
Year: 2005 | Volume: 4, Issue 2 | Pages: 105-120 | doi: 10.1007/s10209-005-0116-3
