Ordered interpersonal synchronisation in ASD children via robots.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Human-Robot Interaction

Background:

• Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by social interaction deficits, including interpersonal synchronisation.
• Robotic interventions show promise in engaging children with ASD in social-emotional interactions.
• The link between interpersonal synchronisation and emotional empathy in ASD children across cultures and interaction partners remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate interpersonal synchronisation and emotional empathy in French and Japanese children with ASD.
• To compare interactions with human versus robotic partners under analogous conditions.
• To explore cultural differences in social synchronisation within the ASD population.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an actor-perceiver paradigm with children with ASD as actors.
• Recorded autonomic heart rate activation and self-reported emotional feelings.
• Compared interactions with a human perceiver and a robotic perceiver across French and Japanese participants.

Main Results:

• French and Japanese ASD children exhibited distinct interpersonal synchronisation patterns when interacting with a human.
• Both groups showed similar interpersonal synchronisation patterns when interacting with a robot.
• Autonomic and emotional responses indicated nuanced differences in social perception.

Conclusions:

• Interpersonal synchronisation and emotional empathy mechanisms may be impaired but not absent in ASD.
• Children with ASD appear to differentiate between human and non-human interaction partners.
• Robots may offer a consistent interaction platform for social-emotional engagement in ASD.