Stereotyped behavior of autistic children with lower IQ level in HRI with a humanoid robot

Abstract

Robots present immense potential as adjunct therapeutic tool, particularly for children with autism. Autism is a developmental disability normally detected within the first 3 years of life, characterized by the differing degrees of impairments in stereotyped behavior, social interaction and communication. This paper highlights our findings in a pilot study where children with autism were exposed to a humanoid robot. The simple modules of interaction were designed based on the human-robot interaction (HRI) approach. Six children who participated were identified with lower IQ classification. Child-robot interaction session and the children's interaction behavior in class (without robot) were recorded. A behavior score sheet referenced to GARS-2 was used to evaluate the videos in both set-ups. Initial responses of the children were analyzed specifically in the deficit area of stereotyped behavior. Overall results show that 5 out of the 6 children responded well in child-robot interaction. Comparison with in-class interaction portrays reduced percentage in stereotyped behavior during the child-robot interaction. However, strong proof to link the children's responses with their IQ levels need to be supported with larger samples of children in the future.