Robot-mediated Job Interview Training for Individuals with ASD: A Pilot Study

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of robot-mediated training for job interviews for young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The six-week intervention involved mock job interviews with a Furhat social robot to target nonverbal behaviors and communication skills. To measure the efficacy of the intervention, four common nonverbal behavioral challenges among individuals with ASD were investigated: eye gaze, excessive body movement, atypical vocalization, and orientation toward the interviewer. Results indicated varying levels of improvement among participants, with some showing consistent improvement and others exhibiting unexpected results from session to session. This underscores the need for personalized, objective, and quantitative analysis. The study highlights the importance of addressing nonverbal communication challenges for individuals with ASD and equipping them with the necessary job market skills. While the pilot results from robot-mediated training appear promising, further research with a larger group including a wider range of participants with ASD is required to generalize the outcomes.