Exploring the Potentials of Robotics in Supporting Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Technological advances have facilitated robots to perform a variety of human-like functions which have steered the interest of educators, researchers, and practitioners to discover the potential advantage of using robots as an intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Through meta-analysis, this study provides research-based information with regards to the potentials of robotics in supporting children with the disorder, particularly with regard to their skills and its implications to their learning performance. A total of twenty-five peer-reviewed articles published in international journals are included - the majority of them use humanoid robots with social skills as the focus of their study. The majority of these articles declare the commendable potentiality of utilizing robots in supporting children with autism spectrum disorder to improve their target skills and enhance their present level of performance. It is recommended that future studies could investigate the use of robotics in an inclusive educational setting focused on the supervision and improvement of cognitive-behavioral skills of children under the spectrum.