A Robot-Based Play-Drama Intervention May Improve the Joint Attention and Functional Play Behaviors of Chinese-Speaking Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study

Overview

Journal J Autism Dev Disord

Publisher Springer

Date 2019 Oct 28

PMID 31655965

Citations 8

Authors

Wing-Chee So

Chun-Ho Cheng

Wan-Yi Lam

Ying Huang

Ka-Ching Ng

Hiu-Ching Tung

Wing Wong

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have deficits in joint attention and play behaviors. We examined whether a robot-based play-drama intervention would promote these skills. Chinese-speaking preschool children were randomly assigned to an intervention group (N = 12) and a waitlist control group (N = 11). Children in the intervention group watched three robot dramas and engaged in role-plays with both robots and human experimenters over the course of 9 weeks. There were significant improvements in joint attention initiations and functional play behaviors in the intervention group. Parents of this group of children also reported less severe social impairments. It was therefore concluded that a robot-based play-drama intervention can enhance the joint attention and play behaviors of children with ASD.

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