Abstract
Repetitive and stereotyped behaviors (RSBs) are core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and they affect the functionality of individuals with ASD. Robot assisted therapy can be beneficial for children with ASD in various ways, but relevant research focusing specifically on robot enhanced interventions (REIs) for RSBs in children with ASD has been limited. A scoping review was conducted to explore the role of REIs on RSBs of children with ASD and to investigate the components of REIs focusing on RSBs of younger and older children with ASD. A literature search was made in the databases of Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar, using keywords pertaining to robots, ASD, RSBs, and children. Of the 89 studies identified, 10 met the inclusion criteria. They involved 99 participants aged 3-14 years (mean 7.27 years) from six countries on three different continents. These studies varied with respect to sample size, the research design, the robot used, the length of intervention, the training and the type of measurement. Following the application of most REIs, the participants showed reduction in RSBs. Only one study reported that REI led to some increase in stereotyped behaviors in children with ASD and one detected no training-related changes in repetitive behaviors. The review findings indicate the potential of REIs for reducing RSBs in children with ASD, but the relevant studies were diverse, and controlled studies with larger samples of children and rigorous design are needed to clarify their impact.
Highlights
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition characterized by deficits in social communication and interaction as well as restrictive and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities (American Psychiatric Association, 2013)
Repetitive and stereotyped behaviors (RSBs) are core symptoms of ASD, and the term includes a variety of behaviors, such as stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects or speech, compulsive behavior, perseveration, obsessions, rituals, sameness, restricted behaviors, stereotyped use of language, and self-injury (Staal, 2015; Watt et al, 2008)
The participants were children and young teens who had been diagnosed with ASD; the age range was 3-14 years and the mean age 7.27 years
Summary
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition characterized by deficits in social communication and interaction as well as restrictive and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Repetitive and stereotyped behaviors (RSBs) are core symptoms of ASD, and the term includes a variety of behaviors, such as stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects or speech, compulsive behavior, perseveration, obsessions, rituals, sameness, restricted behaviors, stereotyped use of language, and self-injury (Staal, 2015; Watt et al, 2008). Turner (1999) subdivided this broad range of RSBs into “lower-level” behaviors, characterized by repetition of movements such as dyskinesias, tics, stereotyped movements, repetitive manipulation of objects and repetitive forms of self-injurious behavior, and “higher-level” behaviors, such as object attachments, sameness, repetitive language, and restricted interests (Turner, 1999). Younger children are more likely to display repetitive motor behavior, such as truck movement, while in older children, more complex movements, such as filling, are observed (Ringdahl, 2011)
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