Mapping Robots to Therapy and Educational Objectives for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The aim of this study was to increase knowledge on therapy and educational objectives professionals work on with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to identify corresponding state of the art robots. Focus group sessions (n = 9) with ASD professionals (n = 53) from nine organisations were carried out to create an objectives overview, followed by a systematic literature study to identify state of the art robots matching these objectives. Professionals identified many ASD objectives (n = 74) in 9 different domains. State of the art robots addressed 24 of these objectives in 8 domains. Robots can potentially be applied to a large scope of objectives for children with ASD. This objectives overview functions as a base to guide development of robot interventions for these children

Brief Report: Diminishing Geographic Variability in Autism Spectrum Disorders Over Time?

We investigated differences in the geographic distribution of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) over time in central North Carolina with data from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. Using generalized additive models and geographic information systems we produced maps of ASD risk in 2002–2004 and 2006–2008. Overall the risk of ASD increased 52.9% from 2002–2004 to 2006–2008. However, the magnitude of change in risk was not uniform across the study area; while some areas experienced dramatic increases in ASD risk (>400%), others experienced slight decreases. Generally, areas with the lowest risk in 2002–2004 experienced the greatest increases over time. Education and outreach efforts in North Carolina expanded during this period, possibly contributing to the observed leveling of risk over time