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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Autism
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1455627

Development of personalized profiles of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder for interactive interventions with robots to enhance language and social skills

Provisionally accepted
  • 1 La Salle Centro Universitario, Madrid, Spain
  • 2 Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in mainstream education (primary and secondary, in the range of 4-5 to 8-10 years old) is a complex task that has long challenged both educators and health professionals. However, using digital technologies such as personalization settings and interaction with robots has clearly shown how these new technologies can benefit ASD students. However, it is essential to characterize the profile, problems, and needs of each student, since it is not possible to generalize an accessible approach for all users. The work presented shows the creation and validation, through pilot tests, of an instrument that outlines the main needs of a student with ASD, based on behavioral variables. In a later phase, instructional sequences will be designed and adapted through digital tablets and interaction with a robot to improve specific aspects identified in the initial profile. The results demonstrate the method's ability to assess and prioritize profiles satisfactorily which helps create a design adjusted to each student. The first pilot tests have been well received by ASD students, who have shown increased interest in the contents and methods used in this approach. Motivation levels and engagement have also increased, and social interactions with their peers have improved.

    Keywords: Educational Robotics, social robotics, Educational innovation, inclusion, diversity, Autism Spectrum Disorder

    Received: 28 Jun 2024; Accepted: 24 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Herrero-Martín, Fonseca, Caro-Via and Canaleta. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: David Fonseca, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.