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The Challenge of Studying Interaction in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder during Play Activity with a Robotic Platform

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Abstract

The present study aimed to assess the validity of using a robotic platform (RODDI) to increase and enhance communicative exchanges between educators and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability. Nine children with ASD and intellectual disability and their educators took part in the study. Their communicative exchanges were assessed in two different settings: a normal play session and a RODDI play session. RODDI platform did not appear to enhance communicative exchanges in children with ASD. They produced a significantly lower number of vocal productions to the educators in the RODDI play sessions than in the normal ones. Even the educators’ vocal production was significantly lower in quantitative and qualitative terms in the RODDI play sessions. However, analysing children’s gaze direction, RODDI appeared to enhance children’s attention on the task. The benefits of using robotic platforms with children with ASD should be further investigated.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge the children and parents who are participating in this research. Special thanks are extended to Giacomo Vivanti for his invaluable suggestions and comments regarding the manuscript.

This study has been possible thanks to a effort of the Italian Ministry of Health that funded the project “RODDI – New Robotic Platform for Rehabilitation of Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders and Cognitive Impairments” (Bando Ricerca Sanitaria RF 2010, Area Clinico - Assistenziale GR-2010-2320870, D.lgs 502/92 e successive modifiche e integrazioni).

Funding

This study was funded by the Italian Ministry of Health (grant number GR-2010-2320870).

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Author notes

  1. Paolo Meucci and Laura Zampini contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurology, Public Health and Disability Unit, Scientific Directorate, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via G. Celoria 11, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Paolo Meucci, Ambra Mara Giovannetti, Milda Černiauskaitė & Matilde Leonardi

  2. Department of Psychology, Università degli studi di Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell’Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126, Milan, Italy

    Laura Zampini, Alice Quadraroli & Amanda Viola D’Arrigo

  3. Developmental Neurology Division, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via G. Celoria 11, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Daria Riva, Chiara Vago & Sara Bulgheroni

  4. The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025, Pontedera, Italy

    Francesca Cecchi, Irene Mannari, Francesco Paolo Falotico, Andrea Pratesi, Giovanni Passetti, Cecilia Laschi & Paolo Dario

  5. Associazione L’Abilità Onlus, Via Pastrengo 16/18, 20156, Milan, Italy

    Carlo Riva & Elisa Rossoni

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  1. Paolo Meucci
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura Zampini.

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All procedures were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments.

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Informed consent was obtained for all the participants included in the study.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Meucci, P., Zampini, L., Giovannetti, A.M. et al. The Challenge of Studying Interaction in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder during Play Activity with a Robotic Platform. J Dev Phys Disabil 32, 113–129 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-019-09687-z

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