A Qualitative method to analyze response in robotic intervention for children with autism

This paper presents a method to carry out qualitative analysis when evaluating the interaction between child and robot in autism intervention. The technique consists of 24-items of behavioral assessment which was referenced to the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Second Edition (GARS-2). GARS-2 is a screening instrument used to identify and diagnose autism. Preliminary results from a pilot study show that this method had allowed qualitative observation to be carried out to compare the behavior of autistic children with and without the presence of a robot. The feasibility of this technique will be further justified through future wide-spread studies involving a larger number of children spanning across the whole spectrum of autism.