Supporting the development of a child with autism is a multi-profile therapeutic work on disturbed areas, especially understanding and linguistic expression used in social communication and development of social contacts. Previous studies show that it is possible to perform some therapy using a robot. This article is a synthesis review of the literature on research with the use of robots in the therapy of children with the diagnosis of early childhood autism. The review includes scientific journals from 2005–2021. Using descriptors: ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders), Social robots, and Robot-based interventions, an analysis of available research in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science was done. The results showed that a robot seems to be a great tool that encourages contact and involvement in joint activities. The review of the literature indicates the potential value of the use of robots in the therapy of people with autism as a facilitator in social contacts. Robot-Assisted Autism Therapy (RAAT) can encourage child to talk or do exercises. In the second aspect (prompting during a conversation), a robot encourages eye contact and suggests possible answers, e.g., during free conversation with a peer. In the third aspect (teaching, entertainment), the robot could play with autistic children in games supporting the development of joint attention. These types of games stimulate the development of motor skills and orientation in the body schema. In future work, a validation test would be desirable to check whether children with ASD are able to do the same with a real person by learning distrust and cheating the robot.

Background: Our research problem mainly concerns the following question: what are the consequences of an autism spectrum condition diagnosis for everyday functioning and self-understanding? Method: The research methodology is based on a semi-structured interview, which allows respondents to share their experiences freely while maintaining the structure and standards necessary to collect consistent data. The research was conducted remotely, using the ZOOM platform and the Messenger application. Six individuals with autism spectrum condition (ASC) diagnosed in adulthood, selected intentionally, participated in the study. Interviews lasted between 20 and 60 min. Results: The analysis of the experiences of individuals with ASC diagnosed in adulthood highlights the complexity of the diagnosis process and its far-reaching consequences. The diagnostic process, which varied in time and depended on the availability of specialists, was often evaluated positively. Obtaining an ASC diagnosis proved to be a crucial moment for the interviewees, enabling them to better understand themselves and their needs. It led to a better adjustment of their work, education, and private life environment. Relationships with loved ones tended to remain unchanged or improved, highlighting the importance of the diagnosis in improving the understanding and acceptance of individuals with ASC. Conclusions: The study sheds light on the positive impact of diagnosis on self-awareness and quality of life for individuals with ASC, revealing the need to improve the availability of specialised diagnostic and support services. Further research should focus on the development and adaptation of support methods to meet the individual needs of individuals with ASC and on promoting awareness of ASC in the community and among mental health professionals.

ABAS-3 and the PAC-1 in the Study of Adaptive Behaviour of Children and Adolescents with Deeper Intellectual Disabilities

Background: This research is aimed at analysing the effectiveness of play activities and dance-therapy programmes in improving the psycho-physical condition and increasing the well-being of individuals with disabilities. Methods: Online search engines (e.g., EBSCOhost, PubMed, the American Journal of Dance) were consulted using parameters such as "physical disabilities" or "dance with music" or "childhood" and excluding protocols published before 2010. Eleven intervention protocols were analysed. These concerned play and dance-therapy courses targeted at disabled subjects under 14 years of age. Results: It was found that at the end of the play sessions, higher muscular activation and improvement of quality of communication exchanges with the family members was found. With regard to the dance-therapy protocols, improvement was reported in general coordination, balance ability and a decrease in maladaptive behaviour in children with disabilities. Conclusions: With the improvement in physical performance, an increase in the subjects' state of well-being is also noted, underlining a strong body-mind connection. For future studies, it is recommended that the number of participants in individual studies should be larger and to include a control group to make the results generalisable on a large scale.

Autonomy is considered one of the basic human needs. Since the times of Kant, it has been among the determinants of human dignity and intrinsic value. The article refers to the autonomy of people with autism spectrum disorder. The concept of autonomy in the light of the theory of selfdetermination by Richard Ryan and Edward Deci was presented, as well as a review of research on the autonomy of people with autism spectrum disorder and relationships with other people. It was shown that the main predictor of autonomy of people with autism spectrum disorder are relationships. Practical implications from own research made it possible to determine the direction of therapeutic work with people with autism spectrum disorder in the field of autonomy development.