Can Autism be Catered with Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Intervention Technology? A Literature Review

TL;DR

This literature review examines current AI-assisted intervention technologies for Autism Spectrum Disorder, highlighting promising applications but also emphasizing the need for standardized, clinically validated research and development of effective AI algorithms.

Contribution

It identifies the gap between research and clinical acceptance, advocating for standardized AI intervention methods and comprehensive databases for ASD treatment.

Findings

Technology-based interventions are promising for ASD.

Most studies lack standardized research design.

Clinicians remain skeptical due to non-empirical results.

Abstract

This article presents an extensive literature review of technology based intervention methodologies for individuals facing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Reviewed methodologies include: contemporary Computer Aided Systems (CAS), Computer Vision Assisted Technologies (CVAT) and Virtual Reality (VR) or Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Assisted interventions. The research over the past decade has provided enough demonstrations that individuals with ASD have a strong interest in technology based interventions, which are useful in both, clinical settings as well as at home and classrooms. Despite showing great promise, research in developing an advanced technology based intervention that is clinically quantitative for ASD is minimal. Moreover, the clinicians are generally not convinced about the potential of the technology based interventions due to non-empirical nature of published results. A major reason behind this lack of acceptability is that a vast majority of studies on distinct intervention methodologies do not follow any specific standard or research design. We conclude from our findings that there remains a gap between the research community of computer science, psychology and neuroscience to develop an AI assisted intervention technology for individuals suffering from ASD. Following the development of a standardized AI based intervention technology, a database needs to be developed, to devise effective AI algorithms.