Assistive and Emerging Technologies to Detect and Reduce Neurophysiological Stress and Anxiety in Children and Adolescents with Autism and Sensory Processing Disorders: A Systematic Review

This systematic review aims to investigate the ways in which assistive and developing technologies can help children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience less stress and neurophysiological distress. According to recent CDC data, the prevalence of ASD in the United States has climbed to 1 in 36 children. The symptoms of ASD can manifest in a wide range of ways, and the illness itself exhibits significant variations. Furthermore, it has been closely linked to experiencing stress and worry in one’s life, which many people refer to as sensory processing disorder (SPD). SPD is a disorder that describes how people behave when they are exposed to environmental stimuli that they may not normally process by feeling more intense than what is causing them to worry and distress. One of the most significant limiting factors that can prevent someone from engaging in what they need to do in their everyday lives is stress. Individuals with ASD deal with stress on a regular basis, which has a big impact on how they function. In order to address a significant research vacuum concerning the use of assistive and emerging technologies to reduce stress in individuals with ASD, this systematic review aims to investigate performance, measuring techniques, and interventions by gathering data from the past 10 years. In order to determine the research hypothesis, particular research questions, and the inclusion and exclusion criteria for the studies, the research process entails gathering studies through systematic review analysis in accordance with the PRISMA principles. Experimental and observational studies on the use of assistive and emerging technologies for stress and anxiety management in children and adolescents with ASD that were published only in English met the inclusion criteria. Research not directly related to stress and anxiety outcomes, articles published in languages other than English, and research conducted outside of the designated time frame were also excluded. The study’s findings demonstrated that the technologies under examination had beneficial impacts on reducing stress; nonetheless, notable limitations were found that could compromise the replication and generalizability of legitimate and dependable applications in their utilization.