Physiological Response in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) During Social Robot Interaction

Area of Science:

• Robotics in developmental psychology
• Human-robot interaction
• Autism Spectrum Disorder research

Background:

• Social interaction is challenging for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
• Robots offer potential as tools for emotional learning and support in ASD.
• Understanding physiological responses is crucial for assessing emotional states in children with ASD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine physiological responses (EDA, HRV) during affective human-robot interaction in children with ASD.
• To identify emotionally salient moments during these interactions.
• To assess how individual characteristics (age, ASD severity) influence autonomic responses and the utility of wearable monitoring devices.

Main Methods:

• Thirteen children with ASD participated in structured tasks with the humanoid robot Pepper.
• Electrodermal activity (EDA) and heart rate variability (HRV) were monitored using wearable devices.
• Autonomic responses were analyzed in relation to specific interaction phases and individual child characteristics.

Main Results:

• The hugging phase elicited significant autonomic reactivity, particularly in younger children and those with higher ASD severity or restlessness.
• Children with ASD Level 2 showed greater sympathetic activation than Level 1 participants.
• Younger children exhibited less autonomic regulation, and higher ASD severity correlated with increased reactivity.

Conclusions:

• Physiological monitoring effectively detects emotional dysregulation in children with ASD during human-robot interaction.
• Findings support tailoring robot-assisted therapies based on individual responses.
• Future research should focus on adaptive systems for real-time intervention adjustment.