The Effects of Robots on Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-analysis

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of robotic interventions in fostering the development of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and to identify key factors influencing these effects through a meta-analysis. A meta-analysis was conducted on 14 studies published between 2015 and 2024, incorporating 58 independent effect sizes and data from 408 children with ASD. A random-effects model was used to compute overall effect sizes, and moderator analyses were performed to examine factors influencing the impact of robotic interventions. The meta-analysis revealed that robotic interventions had a substantial positive impact on the development of children with ASD, with an overall effect size of d = 0.829 (95% CI = [0.657, 1.000]), indicating a large effect. Significant variability in effect sizes was observed based on the functional role of robots, specific developmental domains assessed, geographical regions, experimental design, and the inclusion of control groups. Notably, the effect size decreased as teacher involvement in interventions diminished. Additionally, meta-regression analysis showed that longer instructional session durations were positively associated with intervention effectiveness. Robotic interventions are effective in supporting the development of children with ASD, particularly when teachers are actively involved and instructional sessions are of sufficient duration. Future research should focus on optimizing intervention protocols and exploring the impact of different robot functionalities and regional contexts.