Robot dramas may improve joint attention of Chinese-speaking low-functioning children with autism: stepped wedge trials.

Researchers tested whether watching robot dramas could help children with autism improve their ability to follow someone else's gaze or pointing (joint attention). 18 children with autism and intellectual disability watched six short dramas with robots. After watching, all children got better at following others' attention cues, and they also improved at getting others to look at things they were interested in. The improvements lasted over time.

This stepped wedge trial examined robot drama intervention for improving joint attention in 18 Chinese-speaking children with low-functioning autism (IQ < 70) aged 6-8 years. Children watched six dramas featuring social robots demonstrating response to joint attention (RJA) behaviors. The study used a three-tier design where interventions were staggered across groups. Results showed improvements in RJA abilities across all tiers, with gains maintained over time.

Unexpectedly, initiation of joint attention (IJA) also improved despite not being explicitly taught, suggesting children could extract these skills from observing the robot demonstrations. The findings support robot-based interventions as a promising approach for addressing joint attention deficits in children with low-functioning autism.

Robot drama interventions show promise for improving joint attention in children with low-functioning autism. The approach may be particularly valuable as it appears to promote both taught (RJA) and untaught (IJA) joint attention skills. However, larger trials with diverse populations are needed before widespread clinical implementation.

Small sample size of 18 participants limits generalizability. Single cultural/linguistic group (Chinese-speaking children). Abstract does not report effect sizes, statistical significance, or detailed outcome measures. Limited information about intervention fidelity and long-term follow-up duration.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), especially those with low cognitive functioning, have deficits in joint attention. Previous research has found that these children are interested in engaging with social robots. In the present study, we designed a robot drama intervention for promoting responses to joint attention abilities (RJA) of children with low-functioning autism (IQs < 70). Using a stepped wedge design, Chinese-speaking children aged six to eight were randomly assigned to three tiers ( = 18).

Children of all three tiers had comparable autism severity, language and cognitive function, and joint attention abilities. Tier 1 first received intervention, followed by Tiers 2 and 3. They watched six dramas in which social robots demonstrated RJA behaviours. The RJA of children of all tiers improved after intervention and such improvement was maintained over time.

Despite initiation of joint attention (IJA) not being explicitly taught, IJA of all children was found to improve after intervention. It was, therefore, concluded that a robot drama could enhance the joint attention of children with low-functioning ASD.Implications for rehabilitationIn comparison to typically developing children, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), especially those with low cognitive functioning, have deficits in joint attention.Robot-based drama intervention program was developed to promote responses to joint attention (RJA) abilities of children with low-functioning autism (IQs < 70).Modelling RJA in robot dramas can promote RJA abilities in these children.An improvement in RJA also yielded an increase in the initiation of joint attention (IJA) abilities.Children with low-functioning autism might be able to extract the initiation of joint attention skills from the drama, even though these behaviours were not explicitly taught.