Early Support and Counselling Center Jena, Herbert Feuchte Stiftungsverbund, 07743 Jena, Germany.
Social Potential in Autism Research Unit, Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany.
Sensors (Basel). 2019 Nov 4;19(21):4787. doi: 10.3390/s19214787.
The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has increased strongly over the past decades, and so has the demand for adequate behavioral assessment and support for persons affected by ASD. Here we provide a review on original research that used sensor technology for an objective assessment of social behavior, either with the aim to assist the assessment of autism or with the aim to use this technology for intervention and support of people with autism. Considering rapid technological progress, we focus (1) on studies published within the last 10 years (2009-2019), (2) on contact- and irritation-free sensor technology that does not constrain natural movement and interaction, and (3) on sensory input from the face, the voice, or body movements. We conclude that sensor technology has already demonstrated its great potential for improving both behavioral assessment and interventions in autism spectrum disorders. We also discuss selected examples for recent theoretical questions related to the understanding of psychological changes and potentials in autism. In addition to its applied potential, we argue that sensor technology-when implemented by appropriate interdisciplinary teams-may even contribute to such theoretical issues in understanding autism.
自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的患病率在过去几十年中急剧上升，因此对自闭症患者进行充分的行为评估和支持的需求也在增加。在这里，我们对使用传感器技术进行客观的社会行为评估的原创研究进行了综述，其目的要么是协助自闭症的评估，要么是使用这项技术对自闭症患者进行干预和支持。鉴于技术的快速发展，我们重点关注（1）在过去 10 年内（2009-2019 年）发表的研究，（2）使用无接触、无刺激的传感器技术，该技术不会限制自然运动和互动，以及（3）来自面部、声音或身体运动的感官输入。我们的结论是，传感器技术已经证明了它在改善自闭症谱系障碍的行为评估和干预方面的巨大潜力。我们还讨论了与理解自闭症中的心理变化和潜力相关的一些最近的理论问题的例子。除了其应用潜力，我们认为传感器技术——当由适当的跨学科团队实施时——甚至可能有助于理解自闭症的这些理论问题。
