Robot and virtual reality-based intervention in autism: a comprehensive review

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder. Children diagnosed with this disorder have persistent deficits in their social-emotional reciprocity skills, nonverbal communication, and developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships. Besides, autistic children usually have motor deficits that influence their imitation and gesture production ability. The present study aims to review and analyze the current research findings in using robot-based and virtual reality-based intervention to support the therapy of improving the social, communication, emotional, and academic deficits of children with autism. Experimental data from the surveyed works are analyzed regarding the target behaviors and how each technology, robot, or virtual reality, was used during therapy sessions to improve the targeted behaviors. Furthermore, this study explores the different therapeutic roles that robots and virtual reality were observed to play. Finally, this study shares perspectives on the affordances and challenges of applying these technologies. © 2021, Bharati Vidyapeeth's Institute of Computer Applications and Management.