Design, development, and clinical validation of therapeutic toys for autistic children

Humanoid Robots and Autistic Children: A Review on Technological Tools to Assess Social Attention and Engagement

Recent studies suggest that robot-based interventions are potentially effective in diagnosis and therapy of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), demonstrating that robots can improve the engagement abilities and attention in autistic children. While methodological approaches vary significantly in these studies and are not unified yet, researchers often develop similar solutions based on similar conceptual and practical premises. We systematically review the latest robot-intervention techniques in ASD research (18 research papers), comparing multiple dimensions of technological and experimental implementation. In particular, we focus on sensor-based assessment systems for automated and unbiased quantitative assessments of children’s engagement and attention fluctuations during interaction with robots. We examine related technologies, experimental and methodological setups, and the empirical investigations they support. We aim to assess the strengths and limitations of such approaches in a diagnostic context and to evaluate their potential in increasing our knowledge of autism and in supporting the development of social skills and attentional dispositions in ASD children. Using our acquired results from the overview, we propose a set of social cues and interaction techniques that can be thought to be most beneficial in robot-related autism intervention.

Beneficial effect of interventional exercise on autistic Fragile X syndrome

[Purpose] The purpose of the present review is to discuss recent published articles in the understanding of efficacy of interventional exercise on autistic Fragile X syndrome (FXS) with special emphasis on its significance in clinical application in patients. [Methods] This review article was identified scientifically and/or clinically relevant articles from PubMed that directly/indirectly met the inclusion criteria. [Results] Mutation of fragile X mental retardation 1 (fmr1) gene on the X chromosome is related with loss of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) that affecting physiological and behavioral abnormalities. Autistic FXS individuals exhibit disturbed sleep and altered circadian behavior. Although the underlying molecular mechanisms are not been fully explored, interventional exercise in autistic FXS has been clinically used for the treatment of physiological and behavioral abnormalities as well as psychiatric disorder in autistic FXS. [Conclusion] This review describes beneficial efficacy of interventional exercise and its controversy in patients with autistic FXS. This review also provides interventional strategies for clinicians and scientists that the way of neurophysiological approaches according to the level of physical and behavioral abnormalities.