Characteristics of mobile robotic toys for children with pervasive developmental disorders

Pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) refers to a group of disorders characterized by delays in the development of multiple basic functions including socialization and communication. Symptoms may include communication problems such as using and understanding language; difficulty relating to people, objects, and events; unusual play with toys and other objects; difficulty with changes in routine or familiar surroundings, and repetitive body movements or behavior patterns. Autism is the most characteristic and best studied PDD. We are investigating the use of mobile robotic toys that can move in the environment and interact in various manners (vocal messages, music, visual cues, movement, etc.) with children with autism. The hypothesis is that mobile robots can serve as an appropriate pedagogical tool to help children with PDD develop social skills because they are more predictable and less intimidating. The objective is to see how such devices can be used to capture the child's attention and contribute to helping him or her develop social skills. This paper outlines the design considerations for such robots, and presents experimental protocols that are being developed to study the impacts of using these robots on the development of the child.