Jacquie Ripat
Papers
2
Total Citations
6
H-Index
2
About
Jacquie Ripat is a leading scholar in occupational therapy and assistive technology, with a focused research agenda on enabling play and participation for children with physical disabilities. Her work critically examines how technology—from traditional assistive devices to emerging social robots—can be used to uphold children’s fundamental right to play. In her highly cited 2024 scoping review, Ripat systematically mapped the published literature on assistive technology for children’s play, revealing both the potential and the gaps in current evidence. This foundational work has already garnered 4 citations, underscoring its importance to the field. Building on these insights, her 2023 study on social robots explores the requirements, concerns, and barriers families face when integrating robotic playmates into daily life. By centering the voices of children and their families, Ripat’s research challenges ableist assumptions about play and pushes the boundaries of human-robot interaction in pediatric rehabilitation. Her contributions are shaping how clinicians, engineers, and policymakers design inclusive technologies that prioritize joy, autonomy, and social connection for all children.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Assistive technology to facilitate children’s play: a scoping review4 citations · 2024
- 2Social Robots to Encourage Play for Children with Disabilities2 citations · 2023