Therapeutic use of robotics in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Robot-assisted Therapy (RAT) can improve the behavior of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a spontaneous and entertaining way. There are no previous experiences of this type of intervention in our country. Objective: To describe a clinical experience of using RAT and its impact on the behaviors of a group of children with ASD, in a therapeutic context. Patients and Method: Quasiexperimental clinical experience type study. 4 children with a clinical diagnosis of ASD were selected, supported by the ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule); aged between 9 and 13 years, and normal IQ according to the WISC-III (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children). This study was approved by the Central Metropolitan Ethics Committee. Patients attended 10 structured robot-assisted therapy sessions, working collaboratively in pairs. Workshop attendance and parent and child satisfaction were evaluated through surveys, the adaptive behavior with the Vineland scale, and social interaction with video coding guidelines. Results: Patients presented a very good adherence and satisfaction with the activity. There was an improvement in socialization behaviors and social age. Video-coding showed an increase in social interaction and improvement in the behavior of the patients after attending workshops. Conclusions: We observed that the experience with RAT, adapted to the context of a Chilean public health center, was highly attractive and beneficial for patients with ASD, improving core symptoms such as difficulties in social interaction and behavioral problems.