THERE HAS BEEN INCREASING RESEARCH BASED ON ROBOTS FOR AUTISM AND THE BENEFITS THAT TECHNOLOGY CAN HAVE IN THE WORLD OF NEURODIVERGENCE.

By Donnesa McPHERSON, AAS

Many parents, caregivers, and technicians are becoming increasingly interested in the skills that these machines could potentially support.

The possibilities to help improve interactions with children with autism and their environment are a driving factor to robotic technology. This article will consider whether bots could become a key education tool for children on the spectrum.

How can robots help autistic children?

Supporting target behaviors, such as increased eye contact and social skills used everyday in life, is a key focus in the development of educational robots, as autistic children generally have a hard time with social and emotional skills.

Some products are even on the way to being programmed based on the needs of one particular child at a time. That individuality could help shape the way a machine is used and target specific needs.

Is technology beneficial for individuals on the spectrum?

As technologists develop products with the ability to specify needs and areas of growth, lessons using bots have more potential to run smoothly. However, there are already tech-based products on the market that provide tools and exercises for autistic learners.

With many technology options, teachers and/or parents can choose what skill they would like the child to work on, like communication. In this example, a robot could perhaps use a role-playing exercise to help the child practice back and forth speech.