Improving Communication Skills of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Engaging Them: Puppets vs Social Robots

Learning and social participation of children with autism spectrum disorder can be greatly impacted by the ongoing difficulties that they often face in social communication, joint attention, and sustained engagement. To address these difficulties, in recent years, play-based and technology-assisted interventions have become popular. In this study, the use of puppets and social robots as mediating tools for enhancing communication skills and engagement in children with autism spectrum disorder is examined. This study consolidates findings from empirical research, focusing on outcomes related to social initiation, verbal and nonverbal communication, joint attention, emotional expression, and engagement during intervention sessions.

The results of this study show that puppet-based interventions provide a versatile, affordable, and emotionally expressive medium that fosters symbolic play, imagination, and reciprocal interaction. On the other hand, social robot-based interventions are predictable and consistent and grab the attention of children with autism spectrum disorder. This study contributes to the existing literature by offering a comparative perspective and provides practical implications for educators, therapists, and researchers seeking evidence-informed approaches to supporting communication development in children with autism spectrum disorder. However, this study also identifies methodological shortcomings in a number of studies, including a lack of long-term outcome measures, inconsistent intervention designs, and small sample sizes.