Toward Therapist-in-the-Loop Assistive Robotics for Children with Autism and Specific Language Impairment

In this paper we summarize some of the current work in the field of robot-based therapy for children with autism, and explore new directions that emphasize the important role of the therapist in achieving clinical benefit for these children and children with specific language impairment (SLI). Our ongoing and future research related to robot-based imitation therapy, design of therapist interfaces, and development of therapy robots is described. The overarching assumption in each of these research thrusts is that clinical benefits to children with autism and SLI are best achieved through triadic interactions between the child, the therapist, and the robot facilitator.

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