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. 2017 Oct;47(10):3079-3096.
doi: 10.1007/s10803-017-3235-9.

How to Implement Robots in Interventions for Children with Autism? A Co-creation Study Involving People with Autism, Parents and Professionals

Claire A G J Huijnen  1   2 , Monique A S Lexis  3 , Rianne Jansens  4 , Luc P de Witte  3   5   6
Affiliations

How to Implement Robots in Interventions for Children with Autism? A Co-creation Study Involving People with Autism, Parents and Professionals

Claire A G J Huijnen et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 2017 Oct.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to gain insight into how robots can be practically implemented into current education and therapy interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This qualitative study included focus groups and co-creation sessions. 73 Participants (professionals and adults with ASD) took part in 13 focus groups to elicit requirements for robot assisted interventions. Additionally, 22 participants (professionals, parents of children with ASD and adults with ASD) generated ideas for interventions using robot KASPAR in three co-creation sessions. This study resulted in: an overview of requirements concerning the robot, end-user, environment and practical implementation; a template to systematically describe robot interventions in general and for KASPAR in particular; and finally new interventions.

Keywords: Autism; Co-creation; Implementation; KASPAR; Requirements; Robot; Robot assisted intervention; Robot mediated intervention.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Therapy robot KASPAR
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Template to describe robot mediated intervention—objectives and robot roles
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Template to describe robot mediated intervention—intervention description
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Template to describe robot mediated intervention—intervention interaction flow
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
KASSY (girl version, left) and KASPAR (boy version, right)
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Creating KASPAR’s thumb
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Thumb up on hand
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Complete overview of therapy and education objectives for children with ASD (Huijnen et al. 2016b)
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Objectives and roles of example intervention
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
Details of intervention description
Fig. 11
Fig. 11
Interaction flow between professional—KASPAR—child
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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