Enhancing Autism Spectrum Disorder Screening: Implementation and Pilot Testing of a Robot-Assisted Digital Tool

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a significant lifelong condition. Without early identification and intervention, it can lead to issues such as social isolation and mental health problems. This report presents the initial implementation and pilot testing of a digital version of the M-CHAT-R/F screening tool for assessing the risk of ASD. This version utilizes the multimodal interaction capabilities of a humanoid robot to prompt social behaviour in children, thereby assisting caregivers in identifying anomalies. The advantage of the robot-assisted version over the standard administration is that it allows real-time prompting and observation of children's behaviour for each question of the M-CHAT, rather than relying on parents' recollection. This approach enhances objectivity and reliability in the analysis and scoring. The report details the technical implementation of a prototype, which includes a graphical user interface (GUI) and 20 robot behaviour prompts designed to elicit appropriate responses to the M-CHAT-R/F. It concludes by presenting results of a pilot usability study with parents of children with ASD.