Robots as New Tools in Therapy and Education for Children with Autism

Robots are increasingly considered as a promising tool in therapeutic and educational interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). International literature indicates that robots can potentially be applied to a wide range of objectives. The aim of this article is to present an overview of robots that are currently used in therapy and educational for children with ASD and to indicate what objectives they address. Focus group sessions (N=9) with ASD professionals (N=53) from nine organisations were conducted which identified potential objectives for children with ASD. A systematic literature study delivered an overview of the state of the art of robots under study. Professionals reported to work on 74 ASD objectives in 9 different domains (based on the International Classification of Functioning - Child and Youth, ICF-CY). The robots (N=14) found in the literature addressed 24 of these objectives in 8 of the 9 domains, indicating the potential contribution of these robots to therapy and education of children with ASD. Domains that are targeted most often by robots currently are ‘social or interpersonal interactions and relations’, ‘play’ and ‘communication’. Results indicate that robot mediated interventions are considered to be a possible valuable tool in the education or therapy for children with autism. In order to unlock the potential of robots, it is advised that technical developers use knowledge from ASD practice so that meaningful applications can be developed.