Humanoid Robots, Specific Language Impairment and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Ongoing project to analyse the results of a pilot experiment carried out at Manises Hospital –Mislata Hospital in Valencia, Spain (Neurorehabilitacion infantil, Centro de Especialidades, Mislata). The experiment tests the effectiveness of linguistic and cognitive skill development therapy on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Specific Language Impairment, assisted by an especially programmed humanoid robot NAO, called Coco (created by the French company Aldebaran, currently called SoftBank Robotics). The ideal results would prove that the interaction between the robot and the child improves the social interactions and communicative skills (measured through the Battelle Developmental Inventory and the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour [II]). Provisional results should show that the robot-child interaction is more efficient than conventional therapy in increasing communicative and social abilities (as measured by change in the above indicators). These results are expected to be maintained over time once the therapy is over. I participate as a research assistant and observer in this experiment. The team at Manises Hospital is: §  María Isabel Cabezudo de la Muela §  Roma Franco Lopez §  Virginia Pérez Escamilla §  María Jesús Lluch López §  Celia Tena Vázquez de Agredos 
The programming of the robot took place in Jaume I University in Castellon, Comunitat Valenciana, Spain. It was programmed by Enric Cervera Mateu. 
This experiment was featured in the Spanish news: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjEt7gXB6HE