The Intelligent Robot Contents for Children with Speech-Language Disorder

Abstract

The purpose of this study is the development of language-intervention content, “Special Friend, iRobiQ.” The play-robot content serves various roles: The promotion of language interaction for children with speechlanguage disorders; an interlocutor friend (Talking Friend, iRobiQ); the transmission of data for diagnosis and evaluation between parents and experts; and a monitor for the supervisor of the speech-language disorder children outside of a therapy setting (Helping Friend, iRobiQ). This content design used a script approach, which provides entertaining educational elements for speech-language disorder children, as a player and learner. It has greetings and a birthday celebration script (cake, gift, song), with the theme of the practical language goals necessary for speech-language disorder children. The format provides a platform for the exchange of emotions as a peer. When examining the effectiveness of its adaptability for use in the field, four certified speech-language therapists used the content with four autism/MR (Mental Retardation) children who were 4–5 years old over eight sessions in October 2012. The children learned to initiate conversations with the robot with the emotional exchange of expressions, as reported positively. These results suggest the future development of speech-language therapist assistant robots.