The aim of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of a brief robot-mediated intervention based on Lego(®) therapy on improving collaborative behaviors (i.e., interaction initiations, responses, and play together) between children with ASD and their siblings during play sessions, in a therapeutic setting. A concurrent multiple baseline design across three child-sibling pairs was in effect. The robot-intervention resulted in no statistically significant changes in collaborative behaviors of the children with ASD. Despite limited effectiveness of the intervention, this study provides several practical implications and directions for future research.

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We provide a systematic analysis of studies investigating the effectiveness of computer-based interventions (CBI) to promote daily living skills (e.g., navigating public transit, shopping, and food preparation) in individuals with intellectual disability. This review synthesizes intervention outcomes and describes software features and system requirements for each CBI. This review has three aims: (a) to evaluate the evidence-base regarding CBI, (b) to inform and guide practitioners interested in using CBI and, (c) to stimulate and guide future research aimed at promoting daily living skills in individuals with intellectual disability. The majority of the participants in the reviewed studies were identified as having moderate intellectual disability. The results of this review suggest that CBI is a promising approach for promoting daily living skills in individuals with intellectual disability. Additional research is needed before CBI could be considered a well-established intervention.

Small-group training consisting of feedback and self-management was effective in improving question-asking skills during tutorial conversations in nine high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Training was implemented in a therapy room and lasted 6 weeks. Sessions were conducted once a week and lasted about an hour. Experimenters collected data during tutorial conversations in a natural setting. Training of question-asking skills consisted of verbal feedback and role-play during short simulated conversations and a table game. A self-management strategy and common stimuli (e.g., flowchart) were included to promote generalization. Mean percentage of correct questions during tutorial conversations improved significantly after training. Response efficiency also increased. Participants and personal coaches evaluated the training as effective and acceptable.