Robot-Based Motor Rehabilitation in Autism: A Systematic Review

A growing number of studies investigate robot intervention in the case of autism. Most of these studies are either focused on social skills or robot design. However, a large number of autistic children also suffer from motor deficits which are directly correlated with impaired communication skills and severity of autism. While several robot-centered reviews or reviews interested in social robotics for autism have already been made, a review on robot-based motor rehabilitation in autism was still lacking. In this paper, we dedicate our review to motor rehabilitation in autism, notably using robots. To do so, we searched the PubMed, IEEE, PsycNet and Science Direct databases. We show that although this research is promising, it has been neglected and would benefit from more consideration. The goal of this review is to highlight the relevance of past work and insist on the dire need to develop this research.