title: The effects of embodied rhythm and robotic interventions on the spontaneous and responsive social attention patterns of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A pilot randomized controlled trial.
abstract: We compared the effects of 8-weeks of rhythm and robotic interventions with those of a comparison, standard-of-care intervention, on the spontaneous and responsive social attention patterns of school-age children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Attention patterns were examined within a standardized pretest/posttest measure of joint attention (JA) and a training-specific social attention measure during early, mid, and late training sessions. The rhythm and comparison groups demonstrated improvements in JA. Social attention was greater in the rhythm followed by the robot and lastly the comparison group. The robot and comparison groups spent maximum time fixating on the robot and objects, respectively. Across sessions, the robot group decreased attention to the robot and increased attention to elsewhere. Overall, rhythmic movement contexts afford sustained social monitoring in children with autism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Biomechanics and Movement Sciences Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
authors.forename: Sudha M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Inge-Marie
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Eigsti
authors.affiliation: Neag School of Education & School of Music, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Neelly
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Biomechanics and Movement Sciences Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA; Physical Therapy Program, Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA; Neag School of Education & School of Music, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA; Center for Health, Intervention, and Prevention, Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Anjana N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Bhat
keywords: attention; autism; embodied interventions; rhythm; robots