
Can LEGO® robotics therapy improve the mental health and social skills of adolescents on the autism spectrum? A Phase 1 trial
Project Details
Funding partner
Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation
Timeframe
January 2020 - December 2022
Publications
Journal articles and reports will be published. A Training Manual will also be published to support school staff, interested students on the spectrum and families who might be interested in implementing the LEGO® robotics therapy at their school, home or in the community.
Team
DCI researchers
Rowena Petticrew
Emma Heinz
Bernadette Elasi
Ella Romeo
Flinders University researchers
Associate Professor Belinda Lange
Dr David Hobbs
Research partners
Griffiths University – Associate Professor David Trembath
Autism SA - Niki Welz
Summary
The primary aim of this Phase 1 clinical trial is to investigate whether LEGO® robotics therapy can reduce anxiety and increase social skills and school engagement in autistic adolescents aged 13-16 years. The second aim is to measure the utility, acceptance, and engagement of LEGO® robotics with this cohort, while the third aim is to formally gather the views and perceptions of the intervention from all stakeholders (adolescents on the spectrum, parents, teachers, and LEGO® therapist/facilitators). The fourth and final aim is to develop a training manual for school staff and parents to support autistic adolescents. The manual would support the reach, generalisation and longevity of the LEGO® robotics therapy program across educational, clinical, home and community settings.
Impact
The findings will provide emerging evidence in the effectiveness and further development of LEGO® robotics therapy with autistic adolescents. The training manual will be critical for setting up a Randomised Control Trial in the future. This direct output will have both immediate benefit for families, teachers and clinicians who might want to implement LEGO® robotics therapy with adolescents on the spectrum and longer-term use to inform service-wide evaluation.
Resources
An easy-read resource for this project is not currently available.