Advantages of indirect conversation via a desktop humanoid robot: Case study on daily life guidance for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders

We conducted a pilot experiment to examine the potential of a communication robot for supporting verbal interaction among adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their caregivers. Three teenagers with ASD indirectly conversed with their teacher via a desktop humanoid robot for around 40...

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Published in2016 25th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN) pp. 831 - 836
Main Authors Shimaya, Jiro, Yoshikawa, Yuichiro, Matsumoto, Yoshio, Kumazaki, Hirokazu, Ishiguro, Hiroshi, Mimura, Masaru, Miyao, Masutomo
Format Conference Proceeding
LanguageEnglish
Published IEEE 01.08.2016
Subjects
Autism
Education
Employee welfare
Humanoid robots
Pediatrics
Variable speed drives
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Summary:We conducted a pilot experiment to examine the potential of a communication robot for supporting verbal interaction among adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their caregivers. Three teenagers with ASD indirectly conversed with their teacher via a desktop humanoid robot for around 40 min on average per day. In this situation, they showed some positive tendencies such as non-echolalic responses and talk about problems related to human relationships; they had not shown such tendencies before when they directly talked with their teacher in their daily life. During the trials, they also showed changes in their attitudes toward their teachers and friends; this implies that individuals with ASD could use their experience of communication with a robot for communication with a human. A quantitative analysis of the utterances in the trials suggested that reduced utterances from a caregiver might positively influence individuals with ASD toward sharing more information.
ISSN:1944-9437
DOI:10.1109/ROMAN.2016.7745215