Enhancing Communication in Minimally Verbal Autistic Children: A Study on NAO-Assisted Therapy

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Robotics in Therapy
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

Background:

• Minimally verbal autistic children experience communication challenges often unaddressed by traditional therapies.
• Social robots offer structured, predictable interactions beneficial for engagement and language development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of NAO-assisted therapy for improving communication and social interaction in minimally verbal autistic children.
• To compare NAO-assisted therapy with standard speech therapy approaches.

Main Methods:

• A single-blind, randomized controlled study involving 37 autistic children aged 4-12 years.
• Participants were allocated to either NAO-assisted therapy or standard speech therapy for 12 weekly 45-minute sessions.
• Communication outcomes assessed using the Language Development Level Test (TVL) and mand request observations.

Main Results:

• NAO-assisted therapy demonstrated significant improvements in verbal communication, particularly spontaneous communication, compared to the control group (159% greater improvement).
• The therapy group showed a significant increase in mand production (from 6.8 to 16.7 requests per session, p < 0.001).
• All participants completed the study, indicating feasibility and safety of the intervention.

Conclusions:

• NAO-assisted therapy is a safe and effective intervention for enhancing communication in minimally verbal autistic children.
• The structured and engaging nature of the NAO robot promotes consistent progress in communication skills.
• This approach offers unique benefits for spontaneous verbal engagement in autistic children.