Papers by Christine K. Syriopoulou Delli
The COVID-19 outbreak triggered a global financial and healthcare crisis. All public venues, incl... more The COVID-19 outbreak triggered a global financial and healthcare crisis. All public venues, including schools, were closed by governments due to the pandemic. Most schools used distance learning, allowing students to continue learning even when they were at home. So, more than a billion students were taught using learning-from-home contexts. Learning at home is challenging for most children, but it is more difficult for children with ASD, as they are already considered a particularly vulnerable population. Many studies investigated the impact of distance learning during the pandemic. However, they present a mixed set of experiences. Some other studies have categorized the factors which are linked to learning progress based on personal traits (such as perseverance, anxiety, etc.), social context, and family context. Certainly, some constructs might serve as protective factors to support remote learning, including child pre-COVID academic achievement, adaptive coping strategies, and emotion regulation abilities. Also, there are many strategies for teachers to develop instructional materials, communication supports, and behavioral supports, as well as ways for caregivers to provide support, and teach the appropriate skills to children to continue their education from home. Therefore, it is necessary to raise a question concerning the most important elements in the whole approach to online teaching attempts to organize better distance education for this group of students in the future.
IEEE, 2023
Early Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis and intervention with state-of-the-art instruments... more Early Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis and intervention with state-of-the-art instruments, such as Artificial Intelligence and Robots is a rather challenging and promising research area which can optimise outcomes regarding the quality of life of ASD individuals and their families. Autistic individuals tend to show, among others, deficits in emotion recognition and expression. The present review study, aiming to review the literature concerning the contribution of Robotics to ASD research, found 27 review studies conducted from 2016 to February 2023 on PubMed and Web of Science databases in which robots were either employed in ASD diagnosis, or emotion recognition and expression. Results pointed out beneficial effects of robots’ employment as far as ASD diagnosis and emotion recognition and expression are concerned. Limitations and recommendations for future research are also involved, i.e., studies combining the Internet of Things (IoT) and Robotics with an aim to early ASD diagnosis, assessment, intervention, and inclusion.
Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 2023
Purpose: Caring for an autistic child is associated with elevated stress, anxiety and depression.... more Purpose: Caring for an autistic child is associated with elevated stress, anxiety and depression. Although some data suggest that 'child' or 'carer' factors may moderate the severity of carer distress, relatively few international comparisons have been made, limiting the generalizability of previous findings. This study aimed to address this issue. Method: A survey-based comparison was made of carers from three nations (Australia, Denmark, Greece), and the effects of demographic, child, and carer variables upon carer anxiety and depression were investigated. Results: Only limited cross-nation consistency was found for nation, child, or carer variables and their effects upon carer anxiety or depression. Conclusion: The application of universal treatment models for carer anxiety and depression may be of differing value across nations.
Springer, 2024
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience challenges in various developmental areas... more Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience challenges in various developmental areas, particularly in social skills, communication, and repetitive behaviors. A significant proportion of individuals with ASD have limited or no speech, while others never acquire functional speech. The disorder is characterized by high heterogeneity, which is believed to be influenced by genetic diversity. ASD is often comorbid with other disorders, including anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, and other behavioral disorders. Given the complexity and heterogeneity of ASD, personalized intervention programs are necessary. However, assessing children with ASD with standardized tools can be challenging due to their heterogeneity and limited compliance with psychometric standards. Furthermore, the choice of appropriate assessment tools is hampered by a wide range of behaviors and communication limitations. The heterogeneity of cognitive profiles in individuals with ASD poses additional challenges in diagnosis and test interpretation. Standardized intelligence quotient (IQ) assessments may not accurately reflect the intelligence of individuals with ASD, and adaptive behavior measures may provide a bet-ter comparison. Communication assessment in ASD involves tests or questionnaires administered to the child or filled out by parents. How-ever, most assessments lack standardization for children with ASD and communication impair-ments. Augmentative and alternative communi-cation (AAC) tools, such as the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) andspeech-generating devices, can support communication in children with ASD. Standardized communication systems, such as sign language and symbol sets, have been developed for individuals with disabilities. However, there is alack of standardized sets or lexicons of mean-ings, specifically designed for individuals with ASD. This chapter highlights the challenges and considerations in assessing communication and intelligence in children with ASD, emphasizing the need for personalized and comprehensive assessment approaches tailored to their unique profiles.
Background: People with ASD form a diverse group of individuals. Professionals undertaking the pr... more Background: People with ASD form a diverse group of individuals. Professionals undertaking the process of diagnosing and assessing children and adults with ASD may face several obstacles, like the difficulty to capture data on specific behavioral patterns. Therefore, researchers are exploring the idea that AI could be used to diagnose autism as well
as a tool for people to improve their skills.
Aims: The aim of this study was to present a review of research conducted during the last five years on AI in relation to autism and other cognitive or neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Method: Studies were drawn from several databases. Inclusion criteria required studies to involve samples of individuals with ASD, AI tools to be applied in different aspects of ASD people's everyday life.
Results: There is an accelerated research interest on ΑΙ aiming to promote the inclusion of people with ASD. Τhere are tools of AI for predictive modeling of autistic traits. AI powered virtual assistants can help support children with ASD and their families. Also, AI can help analyze behavior patterns in children with ASD to identify specific areas of difficulty.
Conclusion: The interaction of individuals with ASD with digital entities is often more comforting than that with a human partner. AI can change the way autism diagnosis is conducted. After successful and early diagnosis, autism can be treated through AI using various methods like personalized
treatment, predictive modeling, behavior analysis, and virtual assistants.
Young individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) seem to attend higher education more freque... more Young individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) seem to attend higher education more frequently. Yet, the academic performance of students with ASD and the graduation rate appear to be poorer than those of typical development students. Moreover, college students with ASD face several challenges in their everyday and social lives. Students with ASD seem not to receive the appropriate social and educational support in higher education. This article reports the results of a systematic literature review of research programs and services designed to meet the needs of students with ASD enrolled in higher education. Several interventions are available and appear to be effective in supporting students with ASD in higher education (e.g., social planning intervention, focus groups, coaching paired with behavioral skills training, video feedback, visual framework, peer mentoring, and virtual reality). In addition, this article shows that colleges and universities face the challenge of preparing for these students and the need to provide psychological support for them. Moreover, studies of experiences and opinions of college students with ASD from their perspectives are included.
Trends in Higher Education, 2024
Young individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) seem to attend higher education more freque... more Young individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) seem to attend higher education more frequently. Yet, the academic performance of students with ASD and the graduation rate appear to be poorer than those of typical development students. Moreover, college students with ASD face several challenges in their everyday and social lives. Students with ASD seem not to receive the appropriate social and educational support in higher education. This article reports the results of a systematic literature review of research programs and services designed to meet the needs of students with ASD enrolled in higher education. Several interventions are available and appear to be effective in supporting students with ASD in higher education (e.g., social planning intervention, focus groups, coaching paired with behavioral skills training, video feedback, visual framework, peer mentoring, and virtual reality). In addition, this article shows that colleges and universities face the challenge of preparing for these students and the need to provide psychological support for them. Moreover, studies of experiences and opinions of college students with ASD from their perspectives are included.
International Journal of Developmental Disabilities
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated sedentarism in children, including those with a... more Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated sedentarism in children, including those with autism. Given the importance of the topic for long-term health, this study aimed to explore the post-pandemic relationship between physical activity, sedentary behaviours and quality of life (QOL) in children with autism from Romania and Greece. Methods: An online questionnaire collected information regarding physical activity levels in children and their parents, children’s sedentary behaviours and QOL from 83 Romanian parents (m1age ¼ 40.1; sd1age ¼ 6.37) and 42 Greek parents (m2age ¼ 39.5; sd2age ¼ 5.45) between March and July 2022. Results: Most Greek children (95%) had 2 or 3 weekly hours of physical education at school/kindergarten, while only 64% of Romanian children had the same level of physical education. Romanian parents reported being more active (v2 weekdays¼ 33.7, df¼3, p < .001; (v2 leisure¼ 41.8, df¼2, p < .001) than the Greek counterparts. Contrary to expectations, the parents’ physical activity did not correlate with the child’s physical activity. Sedentary behaviour time was significantly higher in Greek than Romanian children during working days and the weekends. Sedentary behaviour during weekdays predicted the child’ QOL. Conclusions: This exploratory study offers insight into Romanian and Greek children’s patterns of physical and sedentary activities. The results stress the need to increase physical activity and decrease sedentary behaviours in children with autism from Romania and Greece. The practical implications and limits of this exploratory approach were further discussed. Keywords: sedentary behaviour; physical activity; quality of life; screen
International Journal of Developmental Disabilities
Background: Children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often experience symptom... more Background: Children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often experience symptoms of various mental disorders along with the characteristics that define ASD. High rates of several psychiatric disorders have been reported in people with ASD such as anxiety, depression, cognitive problems, emotional regulation difficulties and related behavioral problems can occur in children of all ages with ASD. There are many treatment programs that can help autistic persons cope with these symptoms. Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and more are treatment programs that can help people with autism recognize and manage their symptoms. Aim: This paper examines through bibliographic sources of the last 15 years the possible mental disorders that a child or adolescent with ASD may experience, as well as the therapeutic interventions that can help to manage them. Methodology: For the present bibliographic research, 15 scientific articles from English journals were used. The databases from which the scientific articles were found were PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar. Results: According to the results of various studies, children and adolescents with autism show various symptoms of psychological disorders such as Anxiety Disorders, Depression and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. The combination of CBT and ICT can help people with autism recognize and manage their symptoms. Discussion: The various symptoms of disorders that children and adolescents with autism experience can have a major impact on their family, their daily life, their schooling, and their future work. It is of the utmost importance that these children enter into a treatment program in order to better manage and treat their symptoms. The support of the school is also very important.
Advances in Early Childhood and K-12 Education, 2022
Research, Society and Development, 2021
The purpose of this systematic review was to present, through a critical approach, interpretation... more The purpose of this systematic review was to present, through a critical approach, interpretation and evaluation, the current assistive technology research directions, and the range, capabilities and efficiency of mobile devices and their respective software applications and the virtual reality and augmented reality environments used for people with autism. The aim was to identify the assistive technology practices applied for the development of communication, social and vocational-employment skills for people with autism, and to evaluate their acceptability and effectiveness. Search in electronic databases resulted in a final selection of 63 studies that met the inclusion criteria of the review, covering a total of 406 participants with autism. Analysis of the data from the studies provided largely positive results.
International Journal of Entertainment Technology and Management
Play is an essential activity for all children and it is linked with the development of many aspe... more Play is an essential activity for all children and it is linked with the development of many aspects of their social skills. Despite gaining satisfaction, children with ASD face problems when engaging in different types of play. The current review focuses on the use of educational robots that can work as mediators for play activities for children with ASD. More specifically, the enhancement of play skills for school-aged children with ASD through robotics was evaluated through a selection of five eligible studies. The methodology was structured in five steps and followed corresponding methodology criteria. Results indicated that different types of educational robots that were employed in the selected studies were successful in enhancing play skills in general, and more specifically, collaborative play skills in school-aged children with autism, which engaged in interactions with typically developing peers and/or adults. In addition, many aspects of their social skills were improved, such as their joint attention, verbal communication, imitation, and others. Overall, although results were encouraging, there were certain points of attention which needed to be discussed and specific parameters that should be taken into account when designing such interventions, such as the need for customisation and evaluation of children's needs.
SHS Web of Conferences
Employment appears to be one of the greatest problems individuals with ASD have to deal with duri... more Employment appears to be one of the greatest problems individuals with ASD have to deal with during their transition to adult life. In particular, unemployment or underemployment appears to be common among them, which suggests a gap in employment theory and practice focusing on the needs of this population. Tech-aided interventions appear to be promising since they can provide them opportunities to access competitive employment. The purpose of the current article is to examine the use of technology in interventions for adolescents and young adults with ASD in school, home, and community settings. In particular, it focused on the users of technology, the goals addressed, the type of technology employed, the contexts in which intervention practices were employed, and the outcomes for adolescents and young adults with ASD. In most of the studies, positive results were recorded and the importance of the work-related social skills was underlined. Technology appears to show potential for ...
Research, Society and Development, 2021
Esta é uma revisão de estudos dos anos de 2010 a 2020 sobre o uso da robótica para melhorar as ha... more Esta é uma revisão de estudos dos anos de 2010 a 2020 sobre o uso da robótica para melhorar as habilidades de vida independente de adolescentes e adultos jovens com transtorno do espectro autista (TEA). Esses indivíduos experimentam uma ampla gama de desafios, incluindo dificuldades no funcionamento social, uma das principais características do transtorno. O rápido progresso da tecnologia nos últimos anos, especialmente no campo da robótica, oferece novas possibilidades de treinamento e educação para indivíduos com TEA. Esta revisão aborda questões específicas de pesquisa sobre o uso da robótica em TEA, relacionadas às características dos participantes, habilidades, configurações, tecnologias, métodos de coleta de dados, parâmetros de avaliação, resultados de intervenção, generalização, manutenção e rigor da pesquisa. As habilidades sociais foram o principal alvo nas intervenções para adolescentes e adultos jovens com TEA. A maioria dos estudos revisados utilizou questionários e o...
Research, Society and Development, 2021
This review identified 8 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated early intervention (E... more This review identified 8 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated early intervention (EI) programs for infants in the age-group 18-48 months who either had been diagnosed with, or were considered at risk for, autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The studies were summarized in terms of participant characteristics, intervention characteristics, rigor of study/research and outcomes. Intervention characteristics included the provision of training to parents. All the studies used RCT design, with control subjects who were either toddlers of typical development (TD) or toddlers with ASD following “treatment as usual” (TAU) or another treatment, and all were rated as strong in terms of quality/rigor. Positive results were recorded for parental acceptability and satisfaction, and reduction of parenting stress. In most of the studies, the social communication and developmental skills of the toddlers were enhanced. We conclude that EI programs for ASD show promise, and may be beneficial...
Research, Society and Development, 2021
Repetitive and stereotyped behaviors (RSBs) are core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ... more Repetitive and stereotyped behaviors (RSBs) are core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and they affect the functionality of individuals with ASD. Robot assisted therapy can be beneficial for children with ASD in various ways, but relevant research focusing specifically on robot enhanced interventions (REIs) for RSBs in children with ASD has been limited. A scoping review was conducted to explore the role of REIs on RSBs of children with ASD and to investigate the components of REIs focusing on RSBs of younger and older children with ASD. A literature search was made in the databases of Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar, using keywords pertaining to robots, ASD, RSBs, and children. Of the 89 studies identified, 10 met the inclusion criteria. They involved 99 participants aged 3-14 years (mean 7.27 years) from six countries on three different continents. These studies varied with respect to sample size, the research design, the robot used, th...
International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 2021
International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 2020
International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 2019
International Journal of Developmental Disabilities
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show great interest in technological devices, and es... more Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show great interest in technological devices, and especially in robots. Several studies in the field have suggested that socially assistive robotics (SARs) can help children with ASD in the enhancement of their social skills and communication, and in the reduction of their stereotypical behaviors. Few published research results are available regarding robot programming or coding in the context of STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) for these children. In this pilot study, the authors designed and implemented educational activities with the robot ‘Codey Rocky’, a ready-to-use robot designed for code learning and programming by primary school children. In this pilot study, the participation of two eight-year-old schoolchildren, a girl with ASD and intellectual deficit and a boy of typical development in triadic interactions with the robot, led to the enhancement of the social and communication skills of the girl with ASD. A decrease in her challenging behaviors was also observed although she manifested repetitive and stereotyped behaviors throughout the educational sessions. The benefits, risks, and implications of the use of SARs for children with ASD are discussed.
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Papers by Christine K. Syriopoulou Delli
as a tool for people to improve their skills.
Aims: The aim of this study was to present a review of research conducted during the last five years on AI in relation to autism and other cognitive or neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Method: Studies were drawn from several databases. Inclusion criteria required studies to involve samples of individuals with ASD, AI tools to be applied in different aspects of ASD people's everyday life.
Results: There is an accelerated research interest on ΑΙ aiming to promote the inclusion of people with ASD. Τhere are tools of AI for predictive modeling of autistic traits. AI powered virtual assistants can help support children with ASD and their families. Also, AI can help analyze behavior patterns in children with ASD to identify specific areas of difficulty.
Conclusion: The interaction of individuals with ASD with digital entities is often more comforting than that with a human partner. AI can change the way autism diagnosis is conducted. After successful and early diagnosis, autism can be treated through AI using various methods like personalized
treatment, predictive modeling, behavior analysis, and virtual assistants.
as a tool for people to improve their skills.
Aims: The aim of this study was to present a review of research conducted during the last five years on AI in relation to autism and other cognitive or neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Method: Studies were drawn from several databases. Inclusion criteria required studies to involve samples of individuals with ASD, AI tools to be applied in different aspects of ASD people's everyday life.
Results: There is an accelerated research interest on ΑΙ aiming to promote the inclusion of people with ASD. Τhere are tools of AI for predictive modeling of autistic traits. AI powered virtual assistants can help support children with ASD and their families. Also, AI can help analyze behavior patterns in children with ASD to identify specific areas of difficulty.
Conclusion: The interaction of individuals with ASD with digital entities is often more comforting than that with a human partner. AI can change the way autism diagnosis is conducted. After successful and early diagnosis, autism can be treated through AI using various methods like personalized
treatment, predictive modeling, behavior analysis, and virtual assistants.
Πολιτικής, Διευθύντρια του Εργαστηρίου Αναπτυξιακών Διαταραχών - Αυτισμού (https://labautism.uom.gr/) του
Πανεπιστημίου Μακεδονίας, με την ευκαιρία της Παγκόσμιας Ημέρας Ατόμων με Αναπηρία στις 3 Δεκεμβρίου,
διοργανώνει Ημερίδα την Πέμπτη 1/12/2022 ώρα 13.00μμ - 18.00μμ στην Αίθουσα Συνεδρίων "Καθηγητή
Ηλία Ι. Κουσκουβέλη" του Πανεπιστημίου Μακεδονίας (Εγνατία 156) με τίτλο:
" Συμπεριληπτική Πολιτική και Τεχνολογίες Αιχμής "
Σκοπός της Ημερίδας είναι η ανταλλαγή απόψεων ανάμεσα σε φορείς της τεχνολογίας, της εκπαίδευσης, της αξιολόγησης, και γονέων ατόμων με αναπτυξιακές διαταραχές, αυτισμό σχετικά με την κοινωνική συμπερίληψη, την αυτόνομη διαβίωση, τη δημιουργική και παραγωγική αποκατάσταση και συμπερίληψη των ατόμων με αναπτυξιακές διαταραχές. Θα παρουσιασθούν, ανάμεσα σε άλλα, το καινοτόμο Πρόγραμμα Πρώιμης Παρέμβασης για Νήπια και Παιδιά με Αναπτυξιακές Διαταραχές- Αυτισμό (Δεξιότητες Αυτιστικού Φάσματος για Νήπια με ΔΑΦ (ΔΑΦΝΗ)) (copyright 2022) καθώς και το Πρόγραμμα Επαγγελματικής Κατάρτισης και Προετοιμασίας των Εφήβων και των Νέων Ενηλίκων με Αυτισμό για την Αγορά Εργασίας και την Ανεξάρτητη Διαβίωση (Δεξιότητες Επαγγελματικής Κατάρτισης Ατόμων με Αυτισμό (ΔΕΚΑ) (copyright 2022). Tα Προγράμματα εκπονήθηκαν από τα μέλη του
Εργαστηρίου Αυτισμού, Διάχυτων Αναπτυξιακών Διαταραχών και της Συμπεριφοράς του Ανθρώπου
https://labautism.uom.gr/