Why Robots Are Not Effective Tools For Supporting Autistic People

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An autistic PhD candidate in computer science, Naba Rizvi is the lead author of an analysis of 142 papers published between 2016 and 2022 that focused on robots' interactions with autistic people. She and her colleagues found that almost all of the research excludes the perspectives of the autistic subjects, pathologizes them by using an outdated understanding of the neurotype, and contains little, if any, evidence that therapies delivered by robots are effective.

While most research on human-robot interaction starts by asking the subjects what their needs are, nearly 90% of the researchers in Rizvi's sample did not ask autistic people whether they want the technology. Fewer than 3% included autistic people in framing the theory being investigated, and just 5% incorporated their perspectives in designing research.

"Even clinicians are not convinced of their effectiveness, and minimal progress has been made in making such robots clinically useful," Rizvi writes. "In fact, research even suggests that this use of robots may be counterproductive and negatively impact the skills they are designed to hone in autistic end-users."

Most of the research the team reviewed was published in robotics journals, not autism reviews. Seventy-six of the studies used anthropomorphic or humanoid robots to teach social skills, while 15 relied on devices designed to look like animals. One used a robot to diagnose "abnormal" social interactions.

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