Robotic Tool to Improve Skills in Children with ASD: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may present some difficulties in developing social behaviours, communicating with others and acquiring cognitive skills. In this study, we test the introduction of a robot Lego Mindstorms NXT as a mediator and/or positive reinforcement in the intervention of children with ASD in triadic interventions. The goal was to improve their academic skills and to transfer the acquired skills to their daily lives. Three case studies with 8-13 years old children are presented and discussed. The explored target skills were the concept of quantity, colour awareness and a gesture to make a request. Parents had an active participatory role in this study, especially in the Skill Transfer Phase.