Brief Report: A Pilot Summer Robotics Camp to Reduce Social Anxiety and Improve Social/Vocational Skills in Adolescents with ASD.

Journal: Journal of autism and developmental disorders
PMID: 24898910

Abstract

This pilot study evaluated a novel intervention designed to reduce social anxiety and improve social/vocational skills for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The intervention utilized a shared interest in robotics among participants to facilitate natural social interaction between individuals with ASD and typically developing (TD) peers. Eight individuals with ASD and eight TD peers ages 12-17 participated in a weeklong robotics camp, during which they learned robotic facts, actively programmed an interactive robot, and learned "career" skills. The ASD group showed a significant decrease in social anxiety and both groups showed an increase in robotics knowledge, although neither group showed a significant increase in social skills. These initial findings suggest that this approach is promising and warrants further study.

Authors

  • Juhi R Kaboski
    Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, 1602 N. Ironwood Dr., South Bend, IN, 46635, USA. juhi.kaboski@nd.edu.
  • Joshua John Diehl
    Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, 1602 N. Ironwood Dr., South Bend, IN, 46635, USA. joshua.diehl@nd.edu.
  • Jane Beriont
    Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, 1602 N. Ironwood Dr., South Bend, IN, 46635, USA. jberiont@nd.edu.
  • Charles R Crowell
    Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, 1602 N. Ironwood Dr., South Bend, IN, 46635, USA. ccrowell@nd.edu.
  • Michael Villano
    Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, 1602 N. Ironwood Dr., South Bend, IN, 46635, USA. mvillan1@nd.edu.
  • Kristin Wier
    Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, 1602 N. Ironwood Dr., South Bend, IN, 46635, USA. Kristin.G.Wier.1@nd.edu.
  • Karen Tang
    Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, 1602 N. Ironwood Dr., South Bend, IN, 46635, USA. ktang@nd.edu.

Keywords

External Resources

Popular Topics
Recent Journals