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Socially Assistive Robotic Instruction for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Title: Socially Assistive Robotic Instruction for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Language: English
Authors: Madeline Jürgensen (ORCID 0000-0001-9196-2130), Richard M. Kubina
Source: Journal of Special Education Technology. 2026 41(2):213-226.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Descriptors: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Robotics, Elementary School Students, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Students with Disabilities, Public Schools, Intervention, Learning Activities, Teaching Methods, Daily Living Skills, Preferences, Vocabulary Development, Mastery Learning, Mathematics
DOI: 10.1177/01626434251372933
ISSN: 0162-6434
2381-3121
Abstract: The present study acts as preliminary research to examine the use of a socially assistive robot on the educational outcomes of children with mild and severe symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. Participants included three children, ages 5-7 years old, recruited from a public elementary school in the Northeastern United States. The study comprised two distinct conditions using an adapted alternating treatment design. First, a pre-assessment gauged participants proficiency in life skills and science vocabulary, with the aim of selecting of target sets for the intervention. In the human condition, participants engaged in two activities guided by a human instructor, while in the robot condition, they participated in two activities led by a robot instructor. Each condition had one set of life skills vocabulary and one set of science vocabulary. Finally, during the post-assessment phase, participants were re-evaluated using the vocabulary assessment and completed a social validity measure to indicate their preference for either the human or robot instructor. Two of the three children completed all conditions. Findings revealed that both participants successfully acquired all nine vocabulary words across both conditions. However, participants demonstrated faster mastery of the vocabulary in the human compared to the robot condition. Interestingly, despite this difference, both participants expressed a preference for the robot instructor over the human instructor.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1501631
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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Items – Name: Title
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  Data: Socially Assistive Robotic Instruction for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
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  Data: English
– Name: Author
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Madeline+Jürgensen%22">Madeline Jürgensen</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9196-2130">0000-0001-9196-2130</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Richard+M%2E+Kubina%22">Richard M. Kubina</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Special+Education+Technology%22"><i>Journal of Special Education Technology</i></searchLink>. 2026 41(2):213-226.
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  Label: Availability
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 14
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Autism+Spectrum+Disorders%22">Autism Spectrum Disorders</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Robotics%22">Robotics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Symptoms+%28Individual+Disorders%29%22">Symptoms (Individual Disorders)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Students+with+Disabilities%22">Students with Disabilities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Schools%22">Public Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Intervention%22">Intervention</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+Activities%22">Learning Activities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Methods%22">Teaching Methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Daily+Living+Skills%22">Daily Living Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preferences%22">Preferences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Vocabulary+Development%22">Vocabulary Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mastery+Learning%22">Mastery Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematics%22">Mathematics</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1177/01626434251372933
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
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  Data: 0162-6434<br />2381-3121
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The present study acts as preliminary research to examine the use of a socially assistive robot on the educational outcomes of children with mild and severe symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. Participants included three children, ages 5-7 years old, recruited from a public elementary school in the Northeastern United States. The study comprised two distinct conditions using an adapted alternating treatment design. First, a pre-assessment gauged participants proficiency in life skills and science vocabulary, with the aim of selecting of target sets for the intervention. In the human condition, participants engaged in two activities guided by a human instructor, while in the robot condition, they participated in two activities led by a robot instructor. Each condition had one set of life skills vocabulary and one set of science vocabulary. Finally, during the post-assessment phase, participants were re-evaluated using the vocabulary assessment and completed a social validity measure to indicate their preference for either the human or robot instructor. Two of the three children completed all conditions. Findings revealed that both participants successfully acquired all nine vocabulary words across both conditions. However, participants demonstrated faster mastery of the vocabulary in the human compared to the robot condition. Interestingly, despite this difference, both participants expressed a preference for the robot instructor over the human instructor.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1501631
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1177/01626434251372933
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 14
        StartPage: 213
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Autism Spectrum Disorders
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Robotics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Students with Disabilities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Intervention
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Learning Activities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teaching Methods
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Daily Living Skills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Preferences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Vocabulary Development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mastery Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mathematics
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Socially Assistive Robotic Instruction for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
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            NameFull: Madeline Jürgensen
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            NameFull: Richard M. Kubina
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              M: 06
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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              Value: 41
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