Leading research suggests that individuals with autism spectrum disorder often have an impaired Theory of Mind (ToM), or an ability to understand other people’s thoughts, beliefs, and intentions. A strained ToM can easily lead to misunderstandings and difficulties with social interactions.
With traditional therapy, ToM is often addressed through role playing with imaginary characters, dolls, or interactive play. These types of role-playing activities are designed to reduce the stress of real-life interactions and help the autistic individual to better understand the thoughts and behaviors of others.
The biggest criticism of these types of methods is that role playing lacks the real-time back-and-forth interaction that the average social interaction involves. Another criticism is that these role playing scenarios aren’t always consistent, which can lead to even more confusion for those on the spectrum.
Thanks to new technologies, these criticisms can be addressed via social robotics and AI humanoid robots that can converse with individuals with ASD. These interactive robots can reportedly provide dynamic conversations that can mimic real social situations. Unlike humans, these robots can be programmed to be highly consistent, which is important for ToM development. Even better, these robots can be personalized to respond to each individual instead of providing generic responses.
A recent study was conducted to test the effectiveness of real-world simulation scenarios with robot-assisted therapy. According to researchers, robot-therapy provided familiar but structured contexts, like a scenario in a movie theater or school classroom, to help children practice. Then, ToM-related tasks, like taking turns or initiating requests, were introduced. Children could practice repeating these tasks and develop their ToM skills. The study involved 32 children who were all formally diagnosed with ASD. Every child continued to receive their regular standard therapy, but they also received robot-assisted training, too.
As the study progressed, tasks increased in complexity to promote learning progression. The study showed that participants had less anxiety and higher engagement rates once they realized interactions with robots were predictable. This training was conducted over a period of six to eight weeks with two sessions a week. The results showed significant improvements in children’s ToM abilities, suggesting that the robot-assisted training was even more effective than standard therapy.
Does Your Autistic Loved One Need More Help?
If you have an autistic loved one who could use some additional help and you live in or around Las Vegas, then you might be interested in learning more about the traditional ABA therapy offered here at the Nevada Autism Center.
Our team seeks to help empower all children who come to us for help. We want your child to become as independent and autonomous as possible. We offer one-on-one ABA therapy, family guidance, summer camps, school readiness programs, community support, and model classrooms.
If you’re interested in learning more, then you can reach out to one of our team members now at (702) 660-2005. If you’re ready to get started, then you can enroll now by going through our interactive online form.
