Parenting Journal · Volume 3 · Issue 1 · Licensed source edition
The use of social robots with children and young people on the autism spectrum: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Originally published 2022-06-22 · PLoS ONE
PLOS · DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0269800 ↗
AI / system type
Social robots, predominantly adult-controlled; not generative AI
Child-facing evidenceExamines children or child-focused systems. Transfer to everyday family life must be assessed separately.
The AI connection
Social robots, predominantly adult-controlled; not generative AI. Examines supportive social interaction while distinguishing social functioning from emotional outcomes.
Why this reading matters
Includes randomized evidence and exposes the important gap between robot engagement and everyday emotional functioning.
Editorial reading guide · Kindness
What evidence supports robot-assisted communication practice for my autistic child?
Examines supportive social interaction while distinguishing social functioning from emotional outcomes.
Study context
40 studies involving autistic children and youth
Age / stage: Children and young people through 18 years
Read with three questions
- How many robot interactions included a therapist or adult?
- Did emotional outcomes improve significantly?
- How was transfer to interactions with people assessed?
Keep the limits in view
Most studies used adult-controlled robots; few trials contributed to each outcome. Emotional and motor pooled effects were not significant; generalization and durability remain uncertain.
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Original authorship, publication date, journal and DOI are preserved. This issue’s TRICK placement and reading questions are editorial additions, not claims made by the original authors.
Athanasia Kouroupa; Keith R Laws; Karen Irvine; Silvana E Mengoni; Alister Baird; Shivani Sharma; Cristina Vassalle (2022). The use of social robots with children and young people on the autism spectrum: A systematic review and meta-analysis PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269800
Permissions checked against the saved article notice; repository publication notices screened 2026-11-04. This is not a new peer-review decision. The source authors and publishers are not represented as endorsing this issue.