The use of the social robot NAO to enhance communication skills in children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review of studies from 2013–2019 to 2020–2025

Abstract

Although numerous studies have examined the field of Socially Assistive Robots (SARs), less attention has been paid to evaluating the role of the NAO robot in enhancing the communication skills of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across two distinct time periods (2013–2019 and 2020–2025), highlighting advancements in both SAR-based interventions and NAO’s technological capabilities. A systematic search was conducted across international databases, using strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, resulting in the selection of 44 relevant studies. This review synthesizes findings on the types of interventions implemented, NAO’s functional characteristics, and its effectiveness in facilitating social communication. The results indicate a positive impact on children’s communication abilities, with more recent studies (2020–2025) reporting greater improvements, possibly due to advancements in NAO’s capabilities and the refinement of intervention methodologies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review to compare NAO-assisted interventions across two different periods, offering novel insights into the evolving role of SARs in autism therapy.