An Exploratory Study on Humanoid Robot KASPAR in Supporting Social Skills for Children with ASD in Malaysia

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition that affects many aspects of an individual’s life, including social interaction and communication. Its prevalence among children has become a critical concern worldwide, includingMalaysia. Existing intervention strategies mainly focus on behavioural therapies or educational support. Technological advancements have gained significant attention fromscholars and practitioners to enhance interventions for individuals with ASD. Preliminary findings suggest that the use of social humanoid robots can provide a highly structured environment and non-threatening medium through which children can practiceand enhance their interpersonal skills. However, research exploring the intervention ofhumanoid robots in supporting social skills among ASD children in Malaysia remainssparse. Thus, this study aims to examine the potential benefits of interventions with thehumanoid robot, KASPAR, in improving the social skills of children with ASD acrossthree primary schools in Malaysia that are equipped with a special education unit. Atotal of 25 students participated in this study. Students from each school engaged inthree sessions with KASPAR through interactive activities like turn-taking games andimitation tasks over a period of three weeks, between March and April 2024. This studyemployed the non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test to determine if there were anychanges observed before and after the intervention with KASPAR in students’ socialskills. Results show improvement in participants’ social interaction, social communication, emotional intelligence and social behaviour dimensions. The findings confirmthe feasibility and effectiveness of humanoid robotic intervention, indicating it as apromising approach to support social skills development in children with ASD.