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Educational Robotics for children with neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review
Monica Pivetti1, Silvia Di Battista2, Francesca Agatolio3
1Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Italy.
Insights
Educational robotics shows promise for enhancing abilities and engagement in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Further research is needed to optimize robot-assisted learning strategies for special needs education.
Area of Science:
- Robotics
- Special Education
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders present unique challenges in educational settings.
- Traditional interventions may not fully address the diverse needs of these children.
- The potential of technology, specifically educational robotics, is increasingly explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically review existing literature on educational robotics for children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
- To assess the evidence for robotics improving abilities and performance in this population.
- To analyze methodological aspects and outcomes of relevant studies.
Main Methods:
- Systematic search of online databases using relevant keywords.
- Inclusion of 15 scientific papers meeting strict selection criteria.
- Focus on studies involving children (3-19 years) with diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders programming real robots.
Main Results:
- The majority of reviewed studies reported improvements in participants' performance, abilities, and engagement.
- Enhanced communication and peer interaction were observed during robotics sessions.
- Some studies yielded mixed results, highlighting the need for careful activity design.
Conclusions:
- Educational robotics interventions demonstrate positive outcomes for children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
- Evidence suggests benefits in skill development, engagement, and social interaction.
- Tailored design of robotic activities is crucial for maximizing effectiveness.
Abstract:
This paper aims to provide a critical review of the studies dealing with Educational Robotics for children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders. We aimed to investigate whether in the literature there is a sound evidence that activities with robots improve the abilities and performances of children with special needs. This paper explores the methodological aspects as well as the outcomes of the selected studies to provide a clear picture of the state-of-the-art on this topic. After a systematic search in the online database via keyword searches, 15 scientific papers were included in this review. We applied strict selection criteria limiting our review only to papers reporting educational robotics activities with children (from 3 up to 19 years old) with a diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders, in which the children had the opportunity to somehow program the behaviours of real robots. The majority of experiences showed improvements in the participants' performance or abilities, their engagement and involvement, communication/interaction with peers, during robotics sessions. Some studies reported mixed results, calling for the need to carefully design the objective and the related activities of each experience.
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