Social Robotics for Autism

Social Robotics Intervention for Improving Socio-Pragmatic Skills in Autism: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Socio-pragmatics focuses on the study of language in the context of social interactions. It explores how individuals use language to communicate effectively in specific social situations, taking into consideration the social, cultural and contextual factors that influence communication. Socio-pragmatics analyzes linguistic and nonlinguistic behaviors, such as gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, and posture, to understand intended meaning, social implications, and shared communicative norms. Children with autism often present difficulties in social-pragmatic skills.

The integration of advanced technologies can play a crucial role in innovative approaches to the development of this skill.

In this experimental protocol, an attempt will be made to demonstrate the effectiveness of training through the use of social robots by comparing the performance of an ASD group performing a treatment using social robots with a control group performing the same in a traditional manner.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged between 8 and 13 years
• Clinical diagnosis of ASD according to DSM-5 criteria by a licensed child neuropsychiatrist
• Verbal and performance IQ > 75 and total IQ > 85, assessed with the WISC-IV
• No current aggressive behavior or severe oppositional tendencies
• No hearing, vision, or physical impairments that could interfere with participation
• Not currently taking any psychotropic medications

Exclusion Criteria:

• Absence of a clinical diagnosis of ASD based on DSM-5 criteria
• Verbal or performance IQ ≤ 75, or total IQ ≤ 85 as assessed by WISC-IV
• Presence of aggressive behavior or severe oppositional tendencies
• Hearing, vision, or physical impairments that could hinder participation in the intervention
• Current use of psychotropic medications