In Europe, autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), affects more than 1 in 100 children. The steadily increasing incidence is attributable to an increased awareness of the disorder among health professionals and parents, as well as increasingly early diagnosis.
To support children with ASD in their social and communicative development, social robots are emerging as innovative and promising tools to improve social skills, communication and attention in children with autism.
Let’s look at the roles a social robot can play in supporting the therapy of children with ASD.
One of the main obstacles for children with ASD is the difficulty in social interactions. Social robots can act as mediators in interactions, facilitating engagement and improving children’s interaction skills.
Thanks to structured and predictable interactions by robots, children feel more comfortable and encouraged to experiment with new modes of communication, facilitating interaction with peers and adults. An experimental study showed that social robots have surprising therapeutic potential, allowing 85.5% of children to adhere to the therapy protocol.
Many children with ASD exhibit repetitive and stereotypical behaviour, which can hinder their cognitive and relational development. It is well known in the scientific literature that social robots, due to their appealing appearance and ability to hold attention, help reduce these behaviours. Their ability to capture the child’s interest helps to break rigid patterns, encouraging the exploration of new activities and learning strategies.
One of the most innovative aspects of social robots is their ability to enhance visual communication, which is crucial for social interaction. Children with ASD often struggle to interpret and respond to human facial expressions and gestures.
Robots, with their simplified and predictable expressions, help children recognise emotions and non-verbal signals, improving their ability to interact. Moreover, their ability to accentuate somatic features and movements makes them effective tools for activating visual facial perception and stimulating language learning.
In addition to using visual prompts to facilitate communication, social robots can use visual interactions to enhance the learning of children with ASD through storytelling. Social robots equipped with screens can be used to visually narrate engaging stories.
Through this visual modality, children better understand social situations and learn to respond appropriately. In addition, the use of visual tactile or motor prompts can help customise the interaction according to the type of autism.
In children with spectrum disorders, sensory overstimulation can trigger panic reactions and cause emotional breakdowns. In this sensitive context, social robots can play an important therapeutic role.
Unlike human interactions, which are complex and unpredictable, these robots can be programmed to provide gradual and calibrated stimuli, respecting the child’s sensory tolerance limits.
Through repetitive and predictable sequences, social robots support the construction of a reassuring routine, acting as a “bridge” between the child’s internal world and external environmental stimuli. This technological mediation significantly reduces stress, gradually fostering the acquisition of social-emotional skills and improving psychological well-being overall.
In fact, social robots can be used to alleviate anxiety and hospitalisation stress in hospitalisedchildren.
Many children with ASD answer questions but do not initiate spontaneous conversations. This may be due to difficulties in processing complex auditory and visual signals. This is where the McGurk effect comes into play, a phenomenon whereby the brain combines lip movement with auditory input to improve language comprehension.
Social robots, due to their ability to simplify and emphasise facial expressions, offer a clearer and more accessible visual interaction. Compared to human faces, which can be too complex to decipher, robots can present more essential and readable expressions, facilitating the recognition of sounds and emotions.
The Importance of humanoid robots with visual and expressive content
To maximise their impact, robots must be able to move, communicate visually and show emotion. A recent study in collaboration with the University of L’Aquila underlines the effectiveness of social robots in autism therapy.
Although social robots are a valuable resource in ASD therapy, they should not replace the role of clinicians, parents and caregivers. Their true potential lies in supporting and amplifying the effectiveness of traditional therapies, creating a bridge between the child and the world around them.