A Socially Assistive Robot as a Therapeutic Tool for Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Through Dynamically Modulated Serious Games
Nombre: ÉBERTE VALTER DA SILVA FREITAS
Fecha de publicación: 07/10/2024
Junta de examinadores:
Nombre |
Papel |
|---|---|
| CARLOS TORTURELLA VALADÃO | Examinador Externo |
| ELIETE MARIA DE OLIVEIRA CALDEIRA | Examinador Interno |
| LUIS FERNANDO GUERRERO-VÁSQUEZ | Examinador Externo |
| MARCO ANTONIO DE SOUZA LEITE CUADROS | Examinador Externo |
| TEODIANO FREIRE BASTOS FILHO | Presidente |
Sumario: This work presents the programming/adaptation of the Socially Assistive Robot (SAR) called Mobile Autonomous Robot for Interaction with Autistics and Trisomy 21 (MARIA T21) to be able to carry out interventions, according to the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, applied to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Serious Games (SGs), which are projected by MARIA T21, with difficulty modulation dynamics, are used as part of this therapy thus creating a motivating and facilitating effect for children and therapists. The SGs were developed in Unity 3D, using C Sharp language (C#), and modulated according to
the child’s performance, eye attention level, and user’s facial emotion, being integrated into the robot through the Robot Operating System (ROS). The child-Robot Interaction (CRI) protocol followed in this research was carried out in a child’s psychotherapy room at the APAE (Association of Parents and Friends of Excepcional People for the acronym in Portuguese) of
Vitoria in Espirito Santo state (Brazil), which was instrumented with four video cameras and supervised by a group of researchers. The sample consisted of 18 children with a conclusive diagnosis of ASD, 3 girls and 15 boys, aged 5 to 9 years and presence of stereotyped movements of eyes and/or hands and/or feet. The experiments were separated into three modules for which SGs or specific therapeutic dynamics were applied, namely: Cognitive Module, Physical Module and Functional Module. The first one brings together the games and dynamics applied by MARIA T21 focused on the development and improvement of cognitive learning skills, whereas the physical module brings SGs for motor evaluation and correction, that can be used for physical and postural strengthening by a physiotherapist. Finally, the functional module has applications of SGs and Occupational Therapy dynamics in order to work on the so-called Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and encourage autonomy in those assisted. In addition to the data recorded by MARIA T21, two evaluation scales – Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI-CAT) and System Usability Scale (SUS) – were applied for each module, and another for the degree of acceptance of the robot in therapy by the child. The results obtained so far enable the use MARIA T21 as an ABA therapeutic tool. In addition, the SGs are capable of dynamically modulating their difficulty, providing greater user adherence and continued attention in the optimal learning zone of the ABA bibliography while carrying out the activities. The technology embedded in the robot has also enabled the identification and quantification of characteristics and parameters, such as the presence and recurrence of stereotypies and postural dysregulations, placing the robot as an innovative and promising tool to assist health professionals in the early diagnosis, conduction and follow-up of therapies.
