Dear Mr. O’Hare,
We would like to thank you for sharing information in your recent article about new technology designed to teach children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities. We were happy to read that the makers of Leka, the social robot, are creating products they are hoping will benefit individuals with ASD. As you point out, parents of children with autism are often looking for ways to draw upon technology to motivate their children and make learning possible.
We concur that it is essential to make interventions for autism spectrum disorder easy to access for families. Also, it is important that families can take comfort knowing that their choices are supported by scientifically-based, peer-reviewed research rather than fearing that they may be wasting precious time and resources only to achieve less than desirable results. The clock is ticking for families of children with autism, and every moment and dollar spent on a questionable approach is time and money that could have been allocated for a successful one. It is vital to help families and other consumers accurately interpret information regarding new products and technologies, and encourage them to choose evidence-based interventions to teach skills.
As such, care must be taken when reporting potential treatments for ASD. We would advise proceeding with caution when using words such as “help improve,” “more engaged,” and “transforming lives” without scientific data to support these assertions. Not only may these words encourage false hope from families, but they also lack measurability and objectivity. While there is a growing body of research demonstrating the merit of certain technologies to teach individuals with autism, many disseminated claims are still opinion-based. Leka’s success has not been thoroughly researched at this time, and we encourage reporting on interventions that are evidence-based with results published in peer-reviewed journals. This type of responsible research is a necessity when making claims of effectiveness, and responsible reporting of ASD treatments should include information on this research to support claims.
One type of evidence-based treatment is applied behavior analysis (ABA). For more than 50 years, research has demonstrated ABA’s effectiveness in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder. Applied behavior analysis encompasses a vast array of scientifically-validated teaching procedures that are shown to produce desirable, socially significant outcomes for numerous individuals with ASD. We do appreciate that research on Leka’s effectiveness is being planned. It is our hope that Leka’s creators will indeed investigate product effectiveness via science-based research designs, such as single-subject research designs, or that they will implement the technology using ABA strategies or other science-based procedures.
Once again, we appreciate your story on new technology proposed to help individuals with ASD. We know this is an area that will continue to evolve and change. Articles such as yours inform parents about new products being developed. In the future, we would encourage you to include information from researchers in the field who have conducted scientific studies related to emerging technologies and their effectiveness. Adding this to your reporting will allow your readers to become savvy consumers of technology and autism treatments.
Sincerely,
Melissa Taylor, BCaBA and Renee Wozniak, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Association for Science in Autism Treatment
