Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication and interaction, highlighting the importance of early and supportive engagement. Robot-Assisted Autism Therapy (RAAT) has emerged as a promising approach that utilizes repetitive, interactive sessions to facilitate engagement and learning experiences. This systematic review, conducted following PRISMA guidelines, evaluates advancements in RAAT from 2013 to 2023, addressing three key questions: the benefits and limitations, the metrics used to assess success, and the technological advancements aimed at overcoming challenges. After screening 2396 papers from IEEE Xplore and ACM Digital Library, 46 studies were included. These studies met the following inclusion criteria: English-language, peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings focusing on RAAT advancements for children, specifically addressing human-robot interaction (HRI) and user experience (UX). The studies were categorized by demographics, methods, robot types, targeted behaviors, HRI modes, UX, and ethical considerations. Our findings highlight a preference for humanoid robots, particularly in sessions supporting imitation and joint attention development. The review also emphasizes the need for user-friendly therapist interfaces and addresses challenges related to robot autonomy. Future research should focus on integrating artificial intelligence and developing comprehensive datasets to fill current gaps in RAAT systems. Overall, this review identifies emerging trends, limitations, and provides guidance for advancing robot-assisted support for autistic children through accessible, engaging, and ethical interaction design.
Alkhaldi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.