scholarly journals Smiles as a Signal of Prosocial Behaviors Toward the Robot in the Therapeutic Setting for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
SunKyoung Kim ◽  
Masakazu Hirokawa ◽  
Soichiro Matsuda ◽  
Atsushi Funahashi ◽  
Kenji Suzuki
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Prosocial Behaviors ◽  
Behavior Changes ◽  
Robot Assisted ◽  
Therapeutic Setting ◽  
And Behavior

We explored how robot-assisted therapy based on smile analysis may facilitate the prosocial behaviors of children with autism spectrum disorder. Prosocial behaviors, which are actions for the benefit of others, are required to belong to society and increase the quality of life. As smiling is a candidate for predicting prosocial behaviors in robot-assisted therapy, we measured smiles by annotating behaviors that were recorded with video cameras and by classifying facial muscle activities recorded with a wearable device. While interacting with a robot, the participants experienced two situations where participants' prosocial behaviors are expected, which were supporting the robot to walk and helping the robot from falling. We first explored the overall smiles at specific timings and prosocial behaviors. Then, we explored the smiles triggered by a robot and behavior changes before engaging in prosocial behaviors. The results show that the specific timing of smiles and prosocial behaviors increased in the second session of children with autism spectrum disorder. Additionally, a smile was followed by a series of behaviors before prosocial behavior. With a proposed Bayesian model, smiling, or heading predicted prosocial behaviors with higher accuracy compared to other variables. Particularly, voluntary prosocial behaviors were observed after smiling. The findings of this exploratory study imply that smiles might be a signal of prosocial behaviors. We also suggest a probabilistic model for predicting prosocial behaviors based on smile analysis, which could be applied to personalized robot-assisted therapy by controlling a robot's movements to arouse smiles and increase the probability that a child with autism spectrum disorder will engage in prosocial behaviors.

scholarly journals When Will He Talk? An Evidence-Based Tutorial for Measuring Progress Toward Use of Spoken Words in Preverbal Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Jena McDaniel ◽  
C. Melanie Schuele
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Progress Monitoring ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Therapeutic Setting ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Spoken Words ◽  
Sampling Procedures

Purpose Professionals face substantial challenges determining whether and when children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who are not yet using spoken words will use spoken language as their primary means of communication. This tutorial provides speech-language pathologists with practical guidance on how to measure expressive language predictors for progress monitoring and making intervention decisions for children with ASD who are preverbal. Method This tutorial is a repackaging effort that seeks to make the research accessible to clinicians wishing to implement evidence-based practice. Results We describe intentional communication, consonant inventory in communication acts, and responding to joint attention as particularly valuable prelinguistic skills to measure. We explain how and when to efficiently assess progress using published assessments periodically and using brief (5-min) communication samples for more frequent progress monitoring. Conclusions Communication samples can be used to show how a child performs within a therapeutic setting during teaching (treatment data) and outside of the therapeutic setting (generalization probe data). Both types of data are critical for determining whether the child is exhibiting progress and which aspects of intervention are facilitating progress toward use of spoken words. These recommendations also balance the evidence for best practices for progress monitoring and the demands on clinicians' time and effort. To encourage the measurement of prelinguistic skills of children with ASD who are preverbal in clinical practice, we include (a) example data collection documents, (b) examples with hypothetical data and interpretation, and (c) guidance on communication sampling procedures. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.13557836

Effect of a Two-Caregiver-Mediated, Occupation-Centered Intervention for a Family With a Toddler With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 7512515297p1-7512515297p1
Author(s):  
Abigail M. Carroll
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Parental Stress ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Young Children With Autism ◽  
Coaching Approach ◽  
Primary Author

Abstract Date Presented 04/13/21 Because of the key role parenting plays in a child's development, parent-mediated interventions that train one parent are a common approach to intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, this approach has resulted in mixed findings and may lead to increased parental stress. The purpose of this study was to examine whether a two-parent occupation-centered intervention using a coaching approach improved the quality of social interactions of a family with a toddler with ASD. Primary Author and Speaker: Abigail M. Carroll Contributing Authors: Emily Anderson, Lindsey Hatton, Mary Ferarro, Elyse C. Kelly, Katherine E. Schlager, Amanda Shea, and Kerianne Watlington

Self-initiations in young children with autism during Pivotal Response Treatment with and without robot assistance

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 2117-2128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manon WP De Korte ◽  
Iris van den Berk-Smeekens ◽  
Martine van Dongen-Boomsma ◽  
Iris J Oosterling ◽  
Jenny C Den Boer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Pivotal Response Treatment ◽  
Robot Assisted ◽  
Communicative Skills ◽  
Robot Assistance ◽  
Social Communicative

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Pivotal Response Treatment versus robot-assisted Pivotal Response Treatment on self-initiations of children with autism spectrum disorder and to explore the relation between self-initiations and collateral gains in general social-communicative skills. Forty-four participants with autism spectrum disorder aged 3–8 years (Pivotal Response Treatment: n = 20, Pivotal Response Treatment + robot: n = 24), who were recruited as part of a larger randomized controlled trial (number NL4487/NTR4712, https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/4487 ), were included. Self-initiations were blindly coded, assessing video probes of all parent–child sessions using an event-recording system. General social-communicative skills were assessed with the parent- and teacher-rated Social Responsiveness Scale during intervention and at 3-month follow-up. Results using linear mixed-effects models showed overall gains in self-initiations during both Pivotal Response Treatment intervention groups (estimate = 0.43(0.15), 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.13–0.73), with larger gains in functional self-initiations in children receiving robot-assisted Pivotal Response Treatment (estimate = −0.27(0.12), 95% confidence interval: −0.50 to −0.04). Growth in self-initiations was related to higher parent-rated social awareness at follow-up compared with baseline in the total sample ( r = −0.44, p = 0.011). The clinical implications of these findings, as well as directions for future research in the utility of Pivotal Response Treatment and robot assistance in autism spectrum disorder intervention, are discussed. Lay abstract The initiation of social interaction is often defined as a core deficit of autism spectrum disorder. Optimizing these self-initiations is therefore a key component of Pivotal Response Treatment, an established intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder. However, little is known about the development of self-initiations during intervention and whether this development can be facilitated by robot assistance within Pivotal Response Treatment. The aim of this study was to (1) investigate the effect of Pivotal Response Treatment and robot-assisted Pivotal Response Treatment on self-initiations (functional and social) of young children with autism spectrum disorder over the course of intervention and (2) explore the relation between development in self-initiations and additional gains in general social-communicative skills. Forty-four children with autism spectrum disorder (aged 3–8 years) were included in this study. Self-initiations were assessed during parent–child interaction videos of therapy sessions and coded by raters who did not know which treatment (Pivotal Response Treatment or robot-assisted Pivotal Response Treatment) the child received. General social-communicative skills were assessed before start of the treatment, after 10 and 20 weeks of intervention and 3 months after the treatment was finalized. Results showed that self-initiations increased in both treatment groups, with the largest improvements in functional self-initiations in the group that received robot-assisted Pivotal Response Treatment. Increased self-initiations were related to higher parent-rated social awareness 3 months after finalizing the treatment.

Parents’ perceptions of raising children with autism spectrum disorders in the United States and Arab countries: A comparative review

Autism ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 1645-1654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamal M Al Khateeb ◽  
Louise Kaczmarek ◽  
Muna S Al Hadidi
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
United States ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Raising Children ◽  
Us Studies

Four databases were searched to identify studies published by Arab researchers on parents’ perceptions of autism spectrum disorder and studies conducted by US researchers and published in systematic reviews of this topic. The electronic search resulted in 14 studies published by Arab researchers and 55 studies published by US researchers. The results showed that autism spectrum disorder has many of the same effects on Arab and American families. Six major areas were identified in the results. Financial difficulties associated with raising children with autism spectrum disorder were mentioned more in Arab studies than in US studies. Arab studies had more emphasis on gender than US studies. The results related to quality of life of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder in Arab studies were equivocal. US studies included comparisons with families without a child with autism spectrum disorder, and addressed factors that were associated with quality of life indicators. More health, educational, and social services were available in United States than in Arab countries, but some frustration was reported by US parents in obtaining appropriate services in some studies. A higher percentage of Arab studies mentioned the role of religious faith than US studies. Finally, social stigma was evidenced in both cultures, but not much research was available.

scholarly journals Adherence and acceptability of a robot-assisted Pivotal Response Treatment protocol for children with autism spectrum disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris van den Berk-Smeekens ◽  
Martine van Dongen-Boomsma ◽  
Manon W. P. De Korte ◽  
Jenny C. Den Boer ◽  
Iris J. Oosterling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Treatment Protocol ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Pivotal Response Treatment ◽  
Robot Assisted

scholarly journals Computer- and Robot-Assisted Therapies to Aid Social and Intellectual Functioning of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Medicina ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (8) ◽  
pp. 440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan DiPietro ◽  
Arpad Kelemen ◽  
Yulan Liang ◽  
Cecilia Sik-Lanyi
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Skills ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Robot Assisted ◽  
The Past ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Social

Background and objectives: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience challenges with social interactions, a core feature of the disorder. Social skills therapy has been shown to be helpful. Over the past several years, computer-assisted and robot-assisted therapies have been infiltrating the social skills teaching environment. Rapid progress in the field of technology, especially in the robotics area, offers tremendous possibilities for innovation and treatment or even education for individuals with ASD. This paper’s purpose is to drive awareness of these innovative interventions in order to support the social lives of children with ASD. The aims of the paper are identifying (1) the types of Information Technology platforms that are being evaluated in computer and robot-assisted therapies for children with ASD; (2) the various disciplines or professions studying and utilizing these computer and robot-assisted social skill therapies; (3) the outcomes being evaluated in each trial; and (4) if results demonstrate benefits to children with autism. Materials and Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, Science Direct, and Web of Science databases were searched for clinical trials published over the past five years. Search terms incorporated the subject intersection of autism, and computer or robot-assisted therapy. Results were mined for pediatric populations only and study designs establishing controlled comparisons. Results: Eighteen unique international studies were identified that utilize robot interventions (11 studies) and serious computer game interventions (seven studies). Most demonstrated promising results in improving outcomes for children with ASD. Study implications reveal a rapidly evolving assistive technology for ASD social skills therapy. Conclusions: These interventions show considerable promise, but more effectiveness and cost effectiveness research of high quality should be carried out with larger numbers of children. Also, further studies are necessary to evaluate these technologies’ effectiveness amongst adults with ASD and within unique subsets of the higher functioning autism population.

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