title: Effect of interactions between a child and a robot on the imitation and praxis performance of typically devloping children and a child with autism: a preliminary study.
abstract: Interactions between a robot and a child (robot-child interactions) provide a unique context to engage children in whole body movements through a reciprocal imitation game. The effects of a novel, 8-session, robot-child interaction protocol on the imitation and praxis skills of 15 typically developing children and one child with autism between 4 and 7 years of age were examined. A quasi-experimental observational comparison of pretest and posttest performance was conducted. A task-specific robot imitation test and a standardized praxis measure were coded for changes in imitation and praxis errors at pretest and posttest. All children showed improvements in task-specific imitation and generalized praxis. Interpretation is limited by the lack of a control group. These findings serve as a foundation for further investigation of robot-child interactions as a potential training tool for children with dyspraxia.
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy Program, Department of Kinesiology, Neag School of Education, Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention, University of Connecticut, Storrs 06269, USA.
authors.forename: Sudha M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: Kathleen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.forename: Deborah J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bubela
authors.forename: Timothy D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Gifford
authors.forename: Anjana N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Bhat
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D011597:Psychomotor Performance