Efeitos da interação de crianças com Transtorno do Espectro Autista (TEA) e um novo robô móvel socialmente assistivo dotado de jogos sérios para melhoria de habilidades cognitivas e sociais

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) consists of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by difficulties in social communication, verbal or non-verbal, and social interaction, in addition to repetitive and restricted patterns of behaviors, interests and activities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the worldwide prevalence comprises 1 case for every 160 children, whereas data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate 1 case for 44 children in the United States. Individuals with ASD have difficulty interpreting emotions, expressing feelings and having social participation. To help the evolution of their cognitive and social skills, assistive technology-based interventions have been used, especially those based on social robots. Thus, the objectives of this work were to analyze the interactions of 11 children with ASD assisted by AMAES/Vitória (Brazil) and APAE/Vila Velha (Brazil) and a new mobile robot, termed MARIA T21 (Mobile Autonomous Robot for Interaction with Autistics and Trisomy 21), which is able to project serious games to stimulate the development of attention, memory, cognitive flexibility, psychomotor aspects and social interaction of these children. To analyze the children's development, three metrics were used: 1) Attention Test by Cancellation; 2) Trials Test for Preschoolers; 3) Psychomotor Battery of Fonseca. Additionally, an image acquisition software OpenPose, to capture data from a camera, and a laser distance sensor (LiDAR), were used to control the games and record the child's location during the interaction with the robot. Interviews with parents and guardians of the participants, as well as a psychologist who works with some of them, were conducted to identify changes in behavior after the end of the protocol. Additionally, two international quantitative scales were applied: Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS), which makes it possible to analyze the success of the child-robot interaction; and System Usability Scale (SUS), with which the robot usability can be measured and classified as an interactive tool for children with ASD. The results obtained show that after completing the sessions, some children achieved better performance in the tests that assessed attention, cognitive flexibility and psychomotor aspects. Moreover, several parents and guardians, as well as the psychologist interviewed, noticed positive changes in children's behavior. The graphics generated from LiDAR showed moments of interaction in which the children positioned themselves in areas closest to the robot (indicating more sociability), as well as greater control of their movements during the protocol (indicating better motor control). The GAS data from the first and last sessions indicated that most children showed improvement in interaction with both the robot and the mediator, as well as a better ingame performance. Data from SUS demonstrated a positive view of professionals and parents in relation to the robot. Taken together, these data highlight the benefits of a robot-based intervention for children with ASD, and the potential of the robot MARIA T21 as a therapeutic tool for these children.