A Case Study of a Robot-Assisted Speech Therapy for Children with Language Disorders

David Estévez, María-José Terrón-López, Paloma J. Velasco-Quintana, Rosa-María Rodríguez-Jiménez and Valle Álvarez-Manzano
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David Estévez: Aerospace and Industrial Engineering Department, School of Architecture, Engineering and Design, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain
María-José Terrón-López: Aerospace and Industrial Engineering Department, School of Architecture, Engineering and Design, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain
Paloma J. Velasco-Quintana: Academic Model and Digital Transformation, School of Architecture, Engineering and Design, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain
Rosa-María Rodríguez-Jiménez: Science, Computation and Technology Department, School of Architecture, Engineering and Design, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain
Valle Álvarez-Manzano: Gabinete de Psicología y Logopedia Vallmen S.L., 28200 San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-19

Abstract: The aim of this study was to explore the potential of using a social robot in speech therapy interventions in children. A descriptive and explorative case study design was implemented involving the intervention for language disorder in five children with different needs with an age ranging from 9 to 12 years. Children participated in sessions with a NAO-type robot in individual sessions. Qualitative methods were used to collect data on aspects of viability, usefulness, barriers and facilitators for the child as well as for the therapist in order to obtain an indication of the effects on learning and the achievement of goals. The main results pointed out the affordances and possibilities of the use of a NAO robot in achieving speech therapy and educational goals. A NAO can contribute towards eliciting motivation, readiness towards learning and improving attention span of the children. The results of the study showed the potential that NAO has in therapy and education for children with different disabilities. More research is needed to gain insight into how a NAO can be applied best in speech therapy to make a more inclusive education conclusions.

Keywords: NAO robot; social robot; speech therapy; inclusive education; children with language disorders (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:5:p:2771-:d:510483

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