(1858) NAO AS AN ASSISTANT IN ASD THERAPY SESSIONS: THE CASE OF JOE

摘要

This study aimed to explore the potential value of a humanoid robot -- NAO -- in assisting the therapistduring therapy sessions with children in the autism spectrum. We report findings from a single case -a 10-year old, boy, Joe, diagnosed with (high functioning) ASD. The intervention was conductedduring four consecutive therapy sessions with Joe. The interaction with NAO lasted 20 minutes persession, during which Joe played the “Animals Game” with NAO and the therapist. In this game NAOasked the child to find a specific animal from a deck of cards and present it for feedback. A notableprogress was demonstrated by Joe across sessions in terms of learning the animals in English,becoming more independent, initiating interaction with the robot, directing his gaze, and expressingaffective feelings. Based on detailed video data analysis the study showed that NAO and the “AnimalsGame” helped Joe elicit desirable social behaviors beyond what was typically observed in his previoustherapy sessions.