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Social Robots for Autism:

An innovative way to build social skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Anonymous

University of Maryland University College

Executive Summary

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One in one hundred and fifty. That was the rate of Autism reported in 2000. Today, the rate has more than doubled to 1 in 69. According to Wright (2017), this increase is not from a sudden breakout of autism. Since 2000, when researchers started closely tracking the disorder, there has been more information learned about autism as well as changes to the components that make up Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD (Wright, 2017, para.1).

People with autism are characterized as having difficulties with speech and social skills, repetitive behaviors or speech, and heightened sensory sensitivity. As seen below in Figure 1, Autism is not just one thing. It is a myriad of components, each exhibiting it's own set of challenges. Many children diagnosed with autism remain nonverbal or lack functional communication skills needed for everyday life (What is Autism? 2012).

Figure 1. Visual representation of the various medical conditions associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Autism Symptoms).

Children that are on the spectrum learn, experience, and process information differently than typically functioning individuals. They require lessons to be broken down into pieces and concepts presented to them a specific way that they can grasp. We will find out how robots can fit into that scheme and revolutionize social learning for children with communication disorders.

When we envision robots, we tend to think of little plastic toys being manipulated by a remote control or possibly an uber-smart humanlike system found in popular science-fiction movies. The technical definition of robot, according to Cambridge Dictionary, is "a mechanical device that works automatically or by computer control" (Robot Definition). We could use the modern advances of robotics and incorporate that technology in classrooms to help children with social disorders, such as ASD, in improving their social skills and behaviors.

Introduction

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We can bring the term robot to a whole new level, especially when we begin to incorporate them into the school system. We can create a more comfortable atmosphere for children on the spectrum, as well as bring in technology that will help them learn how to communicate appropriately with others, engage in meaningful conversation, and provide them opportunities to be successful.

In this paper, you will learn the approaches that are currently being taken and previous methods used for building social skills in children with social disorders and delays. While these approaches are effective, they do have disadvantages that can hinder the progress of the child. You will learn the benefits and outcomes of using social robots in speech and language therapy and overall social skills development. These children have a difficult time in social situations due to various aspects associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder; therefore, we will focus on the advantages children experience by using a new technology that creates a more comfortable learning environment.

Social robots, such as Milo, created by RoboKind, can lift children's social and emotional learning to the next level. This type of interactive robot uses a program called Robots4Autism that caters to the developmental needs of children with autism while providing a comfortable and consistent way to learn and grow (Garnier, 2017). Let's see how incorporating this innovative technology "is 100 times 1 million percent cool." (as cited in Garnier, 2017, para. 3). First, we will take a look at some techniques typically used in the classroom to promote social development.

Previous Approaches

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Teaching social skills to children that have difficulty interacting with other people can be a complex task. It surely does not happen overnight and it takes time and patience from the therapist, teachers, and parents. Several methods for teaching social skills have been, and are still, used in school and in therapy sessions. The following techniques are a few most often utilized.

Social Stories

Social stories are a widely used technique for people with communication difficulties. They are basically short stories or explanations of various social situations written in a step-by-step format. They can be written as a one-page sheet for a quick reference, such as in Figure 2, or as a booklet, as shown in Figure 3. Social stories can be made unique to each individual, using their name, picture, and other personal elements. They offer a very specific form of guidance and can be read over and over again.

Figure 3. Example of a book style social story.

Figure 2. Example of a one-page social story.

Social stories are a useful way to teach children important social skills and routines. However, they take time to prepare and implement. Each story is made for that specific child in need and for each specific area of focus. This is time-consuming for the teacher and therapist, leaving her unable to fully focus on the individual’s overall needs. Additionally, it does not provide the required interaction needed to build important interpersonal skills.

Role-Playing

Role-playing is a great way for children to practice social skills as if they are acting. The therapist or instructor creates a situation complete with a simple script for each person. They will read the lines as if they are engaging in a real-life scenario. It is important that the instructor demonstrates the correspondence first so the child may see how the interaction is supposed to look. Oftentimes there will be a right and wrong demonstration so the child may see which interaction is more socially acceptable. They, then, discuss the effects of the situation and discuss in what ways they were acting and responding appropriately.

This technique can be used in several types of situations, such as learning new routines and general topics like starting conversations. There are downsides to role-playing as well. As the situations become more specific, it is difficult to plan and implement. Also, there is the fact that children with autism have a difficult time interacting with people, scripted or not. They begin to focus on the persons face, movements, goings-on in the room, sounds in the area, and many other distractive elements.

Video Modeling

Video modeling is just what it sounds like; it is using a recorded video to model behaviors. It can be used for an array of processes, such as social and communication development, skills needed for daily living, and academics (Pros and Cons, 2018). The child can learn by watching various scenarios played out by actors on the screen or watch recorded videos of him or herself in targeted skill areas.

While this can be an effective learning tool because of the technology involved, there are some downsides to it as well. First of all, it is time consuming to find or create the videos needed for the lesson. Second, it is not very motivating to many individuals. They are watching a two-dimensional screen play out scenarios that sometimes are not interesting to them in the first place. This will make it difficult to keep the child engaged in learning no matter the age (Pros and Cons, 2018).

Group Therapy

Group therapies not only take place in a clinical setting, but can also be found in a school setting and are conducted by counselors, special education teachers, and/or therapists. These groups consist of a limited number of students and typically take place in another classroom or quiet setting. The group works on building important communication skills needed to function every day and are able to interact with others and make friends. While group therapies are a great way for students to learn social skills with others, it is not always the best atmosphere for children with an autism spectrum disorder due to the increased anxiety brought on by multiple distractions and stimuli (Duncan & Klinger, 2010).

Social stories, role-playing, video modeling, and group therapies are just a few techniques used in the school setting to promote communication and social development. These can be effective methods for children with autism, however, there are some disadvantages that create uncomfortable learning environments and, therefore, inhibit progress. Now, let's take a look at an up-and-coming approach to social skills therapy.

New Findings

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Beep. Boop. Beep. Is this what you imagine when you think of robots? Well, Meet Milo (Figure 4). He is an interactive social robot made by RoboKind and he does far more fascinating things than just beep. He was specifically created with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in mind and he operates on a program designed by Robots4Autism. Because of the discomfort social situations cause people with autism, Milo is an exciting alternative to teach those individuals important skills for socializing. Milo, along with other social robots, are designed to teach kids how to empathize, regulate emotions, respond appropriately to others, and become self-motivators; all important factors when communicating to people (Meet Milo).

Figure 4. Milo, the interactive robot used in social skills therapy (Milo).

The way this program works is the child will watch very short video segments on a tablet and decide if the situation is being handled in an appropriate and/or respectful way or not. They will interact with the robot in these situations and practice responding properly and recognizing facial expressions. According to the Robots4Autism website (and Figure 5), children prefer to interact with Milo far more than with a human (Robots4Autism). Wait... Is that really what we want to happen? While many of us think of that as a disadvantage, we have to remember that children with ASD often have difficulty interacting with humans because of various factors. If they can comfortably navigate and learn valuable communication skills from a robot like Milo, they will slowly begin to transition into other forms of communication. Social robots are not meant to completely

take over teaching and learning, they are meant to ease a child into social interactions and gradually build them up to speaking with people more efficiently. Children of all kinds of developmental stages and abilities are very much into technology, such as iPads and other forms of electronics. Interactive social robots allow them to learn in a fun and innovative way.

Figure 5. Children respond to Milo 85% more than a human (Student Engagement).

A survey was done of various social robots used for teaching social skills to children with autism. According to Cabibihan, Javed, Ang, and Aljunied (2013), the robots had an assortment of characteristics that provided quality learning and engaging lessons for the students. The robots were found to reward the students in ways such as lighting up, dancing, or playing music. Some of the models even gave the students the choice of what kind of rewards they preferred based on what their sensory deficits would allow. Some of the primary goals of the robots were to have the children imitate certain behaviors, which is a great way for children to learn and explore new actions. The children worked on making eye contact, taking turns in conversation, and recognizing emotions and facial expressions. It was found that robots are successful tools in teaching social behaviors to children with autism. The robots proved not only to be an engaging playmate, but it provided the children valuable lessons in communication (Cabibihan et al, 2013).

Fox News did a story on a school division in Texas that incorporated Milo into their special needs program. They found that the children were highly engaged and attentive to Milo, as opposed to only listening to the teachers or facilitators for a few minutes. Parents of the students were also interviewed and said they saw improvements in their child's communication. The school was impressed by the progress and wants to continue using the robots for social skill development (Garnier, 2017).

Conclusion

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There are many reasons why the school system should incorporate interactive social robots into the special education curriculum. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder have a difficult time communicating with humans because of the countless distractions, including facial and hand movements, language concepts, and other surrounding stimuli. The robot takes away some of those distractions and allows the student to interact with it and learn basic communication skills. The skills they are taught and practice are essential for them to learn in order to begin to effectively and appropriately communicate with others in the community. There is amazing technology out there, such as Milo. Why not use him and others like it to better the futures of our students and create opportunities for them to succeed?

References

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Autism Symptoms [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/symptoms

Cabibihan, J., Javed, H., Ang Jr., M., & Aljunied, S. M. (2013. Why robots? A survey on the roles and benefits of social robots in the therapy of children with autism. doi:10.1007/s12369-013-0202-2

Duncan, A.M. & Klinger, L.G. (2010). Autism spectrum disorders: Building social skills in groups, school, and community settings. Social Work with Groups, 33(2-3). Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/citedby/10.1080/01609510

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Garnier, T. (2017, December 03). Classroom robot helps South Carolina children with autism. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2017/12/03/south-carolina-children-with-autism-say-classroom-robot-is-too-cool.html

Milo [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://robots4autism.com/what/research/

Pros and Cons of Video Modeling|Autism. (2018, February 16). Retrieved from https://learn-aba.com/2018/02/16/pros-and-cons-of-video-modelingautism/

Robot Definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/robot

Student Engagement: Milo vs. Human [Digital Image]. Retrieved from https://robots4autism.com/what/research/

Wright, J. (2017, March 03). The Real Reasons Autism Rates Are Up in the U.S. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-real-reasons-autism-rates-are-up-in-the-u-s/

What Is Autism? (2012, May 31). Retrieved from https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism