World Autism Awareness Day

World Autism Awareness Day is celebrated on April 2nd. It was created by the United Nations General Assembly to highlight the need to contribute to improving the quality of life of people with autism, so that they can lead a full and rewarding life as an integral part of society.?

The implementation of new technologies, such as robots and artificial intelligence, has shown positive results in improving social interaction in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Lisa Armstrong, a nurse and mother of a child with ASD, discovered the use of robots to improve social interaction and communication skills in children with ASD. She purchased a robot called Aisoy and was able to successfully program it to interact with her child. This is one of the few documented cases outside of a university setting where robots have been used to improve social skills in children with ASD. The disorder affects approximately one in every 100 children and is characterized by difficulties in social interaction, communication, and behavior.

AuRoRa is a pioneering project that began in 1998 at the University of Hertfordshire in the UK, which uses a robot to teach children with autism to communicate with the world around them. The project's initial studies showed that children with autism tended to imitate the gestures of the robot and pay more attention to it than to humans. Imitation is seen as a crucial first step in teaching children with autism to communicate effectively, as they often struggle with social interaction, recognizing emotions, and language. However, some teachers and therapists have expressed concern about the use of robots in autism therapy.

In the early 2000s, Ben Robins, a researcher with experience in both computer science and dance therapy, joined a project exploring the use of robots to interact with children with autism. The simplicity and predictability of robots made them effective communication tools for children who have difficulty interpreting facial expressions and vocal tones, and who thrive on routine and predictability. Robots can also provide a safe environment for children with autism to explore their own strength and expression, and even offer programming opportunities for children with exceptional cognitive abilities and a passion for technology.

Children with autism find robots fascinating and enjoyable to interact with as they are curious about how things work, says Emilia Barakova, a researcher at the University of Technology of Eindhoven. Ben Robins from the University of Hertfordshire has found that intentionally provoking robot errors can be a source of enjoyment for children with autism. While robots and AI are appealing, interaction with humans is the most important factor, according to Israeli academic Robins.

The use of robots in therapies for children with autism raises the question of what should be the autonomy of the robot. Currently, there are many models on the market that use different types of sensors to react to the child's behaviors. Some therapists do not want many aspects related to artificial intelligence to be implemented and prefer to maintain control in certain areas. The Kaspar robot from the University of Hertfordshire can be controlled with a remote, allowing the child and therapist to interact.?

Due to a lack of resources, there are many children with autism who have limited access to therapy sessions, so this is a field where technology could be used to improve the quality of life of lot of people.