Bee-bot robot in the use of executive functions in students with ASD: a pilot study

Currently, information and communication technologies (ICT) are configured as another pedagogical tool in the curricular development of students at different educational stages. Among these technological tools, the use of pedagogical robotics as a technology to support learning has created new academic experiences and favouring the inclusion of students with Specific Educational Support Needs (SEN), including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Specifically, in the case of students with ASD, the scientific literature has confirmed the existence of difficulties in the management of executive functions. Therefore, the main objective of this research has been to apply the Bee-Bot robot to work on these functions. For this purpose, a quantitative study with a quasi-experimental design without a control group has been developed, where the sample is made up of a subject with ASD level 2. The instrument used is a system of categories designed ad hoc that is applied during the development of the 10 sessions that make up the intervention procedure. The results indicate how the student uses the executive functions worked on in most of the sessions where the Bee-Bot robot is used. In conclusion, it seems necessary to extend the research, as this type of robot could be efficient in improving the executive functions of these students.