Abstract
The current review focuses on the approaches that have been implemented in the development of the appropriate communication skills to children and adolescents with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) through their interaction with therapeutic robots. This study aims to emphasize the importance of the fact that robots can play a major role in enhancing social skills in students with ASD. The authors present the latest evidence on research and the most popular robots which have been used in developing social and communicational skills to children and adolescents with ASD. In particular, they focus on the use of robots in imitation, attention, eye contact, emotional regulation, initiative, and language development. It is crucial to realize that the use of robots cannot be the only educational or therapeutic procedure for ASD, but they can be used in combination with therapy and education. Robots can be a valuable tool in order to assist educators and therapists to help students with ASD developing their communication and social skills.
TopBackground
Children with ASD could be benefited from cognitive and behavioral interventions which include teaching of the appropriate communication and social skills so as to improve several aspects of their emotional and social deficits and consequently to be able to live a more functional life. Several studies (Scassellati et al., 2012), emphasize the significance of early initiation of therapeutic intervention programs so as to achieve better results. Toys and other activities which resemble games could bea useful tool so as to stimulate and facilitate the interaction of children with other people. Although studies (Scassellati et al., 2012) emphasize the general goals like the improvement of social and communication skills it is important that children receive different and more rich stimuli like different kind of sounds and pictures which operate as a vehicle to their shift of emotions and skills (Pennisi et al., 2016). Recent studies attempt to explore different roots to create new situations and stimuli to these children, in order to produce better results both in cognitive and social level and development (Roberts-Yates & Silvera-Tawil, 2019).
Several games and robots could be used to stimulate and facilitate the development of social skills in different levels like verbal, face expression, general imitation as well as tactile sensitivity (Cabibihan et al., 2013; Kim et al., 2013). These research applications have investigated the use of the above kinds of stimuli and how these stimuli could be applied effectively in psychotherapeutic settings and interventions (Duquette et al., 2008; Michaud et al., 2003). Robots are able to function effectively and stimulate social and cognitive skills and abilities in children with ASD. They can be categorized into anthropomorphic, non-anthropomorphic, and non-biometic (Cabibihan et al., 2013; Scassellati et al., 2012).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Development of Communication: Helping children gain certain communicational skills in order to function in school, family as well as in outside world.
Social Skills: The capabilities which children need so as to be functional in their everyday life.
Robots in ASD: Using Robotics in ASD can minimize children’s stress and support the implementation of therapeutic and social goals.
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Developmental Disorder with deficits in communication level and in social skills.
School Interventions: Tasks and goals that they have to be achieved to develop children’s emotional/social level and their general functionality in the school environment.
Assimilation With Real Life: The use of technology in order to help children with communication difficulties face real life circumstances in control environments.
Communication Deficits: Lack of vital elements which facilitate the interaction with others in everyday life.