Psychiatric Live Animotion Intervention (PLAI) for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Background: Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have deficits in social-communication and restricted behaviour and interests. This often include delayed language development and difficulties reading other peoples... [ view full abstract ]

Background: Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have deficits in social-communication and restricted behaviour and interests. This often include delayed language development and difficulties reading other peoples facial expressions. In addition, children with ASD often show a greater interest in systemic and technical devices that often evolve around technical features and animated characters.
Rationale: Recently an innovative animation concept, based on motion capture technology, has been developed: A therapist puts on a motion capture suit that registers every movement of her body and transfers them to an animated character in a virtual world. The animated character is streamed live on the Internet to the child’s tablet at home and a live recording of the individual is projected back to the therapist, which gives a direct interaction between children with ASD and an animated character.
It is hypothesized that this animated character may induce communication at another level in children with ASD by providing an interesting and playful animated universe recognisable from computer games and animated films.
Main points: The aim of this project is to develop and validate an intervention that develops communicative skills in young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders through several encounters with a therapist represented as an animated character.
This innovative intervention will be validated in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with three conditions: A) Animotion intervention, B) face-to-face intervention, or C) treatment as usual.
Conclusions: The ethical committee has approved the RCT (S-20150138) and the results from the pilot trials support the feasibility of the intervention.

The ethical committee has approved the RCT (S-20150138). Both authors declare no conflict of interest. [ view full abstract ]

The ethical committee has approved the RCT (S-20150138). Both authors declare no conflict of interest.