Enhancing Expressive Communication in Children with ASD Through a NAO Robot-Mediated PECS-Adapted System

• Luiziane Paulino dos Santos UERN https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4135-7331
• José Fagner da Silva UERN https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8561-0645
• Sebastião Emídio Alves Filho UERN https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2029-4726
• Anderson Abner Souza UERN https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6353-8674
• Raul Benites Paradeda UERN https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4031-6275

Resumo

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often face significant challenges in verbal communication and social interaction, impacting their educational inclusion. This project paper outlines a proposed intervention to address these challenges by integrating social robotics with an adapted Picture Exchange Communication System. We propose the use of the NAO V6 humanoid robot as a mediator for a PECS-Adapted system, wherein children utilize visual cards featuring QR codes to express actions, desires, and feelings. The robot is designed to recognize these QR codes, verbalize the corresponding message, and provide interactive feedback. This research, grounded in the Design Science Research framework, will involve a qualitative, exploratory study with five children with ASD, aged 5–10 years, over a two-month period. The intervention aims to enhance expressive communication, increase communicative spontaneity, and facilitate social interaction, ultimately promoting more effective school inclusion. This paper details the system architecture, proposed methodology, and expected contributions of this novel approach within the Brazilian educational context.

Palavras-chave: Autism, Visualization, Face recognition, Conferences, Education, Systems architecture, Humanoid robots, Human-robot interaction, QR codes, Robots, Robotics in Education, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Inclusive Education, Human-Robot Interaction, Social Robotics