The Efficacy of Robot-enhanced Therapy for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Condition: Autistic Disorders Spectrum
MeSH terms: Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This trial will test the efficacy of robot-enhanced interventions for developing social
      skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The study will compare, in an
      equivalence design, an innovative intervention delivered by a semi-autonomous robotic agent
      with standard behavioral intervention. The target group is children between 3 and 6 years old
      which will be randomly allocated to one of the two treatments. Each treatment will be
      delivered over 8 bi-weekly sessions of 45 minutes each.
    

Detailed description: 
      Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is characterized by a pattern of persistent deficits in
      communication and abnormal behaviors (i.e., repetitive and restrictive). Previous research
      has shown promising results for the use of social robots to develop social skills in ASD
      children. However, most of the research is based on case studies and single case experiments.
      Rigorous clinical data comparing robot--enhanced therapy with standard therapy is needed to
      establish the efficacy of this innovative intervention. The present study is an equivalence
      randomised clinical trial which plans to include children with a diagnosis of ASD between 3
      to 6 years old. Eligible children are randomly allocated in one of two groups: (1) standard
      therapy, derived from applied behavior analysis (ABA) and (2) a robot--enhanced intervention
      in which the same treatment is delivered by a semi--autonomous robotic mediator agent (the
      robot acts as a mediator while the therapist is supervising the session). Both interventions
      are delivered over 8 bi-weekly sessions of about 45 minutes each. The present study will
      provide some of the first rigorous data regarding the efficacy of robot--enhanced therapy
      delivered by an intelligent robotic agent which require less direct input from an operator to
      deliver the intervention, as compared to previous research. If the results demonstrate the
      equivalence of the two interventions, this could open the door for the dissemination of
      evidence--based interventions for ASD children through the use of robotic agents.
    

Intervention name(s): (2) robot--enhanced intervention; (1) discrete trial training / cognitive-behavior therapy
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The tasks included in the treatment follow a structured behavioral approach, called the discrete trial training (DTT). The learning process is guided by the robotic agent (Softbank Robotics Nao robot). All activities follow a gameplay scenario and they take place at a table, which in the case of joint attention and turn taking tasks incorporates a large touchscreen. Each behavior presented to the child is preceded by instructions and followed by a contingent reinforcement. The contingent reinforcement and prompting are used to train each targeted behavior/action. The behaviors are presented over multiple and successive trials and explicit prompting is giving when the child doesn't succeed to accomplish the targeted behavior. Each action is repeated three times. For every child, the intervention for each ability starts from the level determined in the first two sessions, but as the child's performance improves, the task moves to a more complex level.; The tasks included in the treatment follow a structured behavioral approach, called the discrete trial training (DTT). The learning process is guided by an interaction partner (human), under the supervision of the therapist. All activities follow a gameplay scenario and they take place at a table, which in the case of joint attention and turn taking tasks incorporates a large touchscreen. Each behavior presented to the child is preceded by instructions and followed by a contingent reinforcement. The contingent reinforcement and prompting are used to train each targeted behavior/action. The behaviors are presented over multiple and successive trials and explicit prompting is giving when the child doesn't succeed to accomplish the targeted behavior. Each action is repeated three times. For every child, the intervention for each ability starts from the level determined in the first two sessions, but as the child's performance improves, the task moves to a more complex level.
Other intervention name(s): robot-based intervention; robot-mediated intervention; ABA; applied behavioral analysis; CBT
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Factorial Assignment
Intervention model description: Random allocation to one of two intervention conditions: (1) standard therapy, derived from applied behavior analysis (ABA) and (2) a robot-enhanced intervention in which the same intervention is delivered by a semi-autonomous robotic mediator agent (the robot acts as a mediator while the therapist is supervising the session).
Masking: Single (Investigator)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: autism spectrum disorder; robot-enhanced intervention; imitation; joint attention; turn-taking