Gender and diagnostic differences in children's preferences for social robot design. A mixed-methods study with autistic and neurotypical children.

Introduction: Autistic children are increasingly engaging with social robots in educational and support contexts, but limited research has compared the perceptual and design preferences of autistic and neurotypical children. Methods: This mixed-methods study examined the robot design preferences of 43 children aged 3-15 years, including 21 autistic and 22 neurotypical children, and included semi-structured interviews with 11 adult stakeholders, comprising six experts and five non-experts. Quantitative analyses explored relationships between robot preference and perceptual features, including size, color, movement, voice, and anthropomorphism, while qualitative thematic and co-occurrence analyses examined perceived benefits, ethical issues, accessibility challenges, and ideal design characteristics. Results: Perceptual characteristics, particularly movement intensity and color multiplicity, influenced robot preference. Across groups, children generally preferred humanoid robots with soft voices and eye movement. Gender-related differences appeared more consistent than diagnostic differences in preferences for size and movement speed. Autistic children highlighted playful and social interaction functions and showed greater variability in preferred personality-related traits. Qualitative findings indicated strong interest in robot-supported interactions, while also raising concerns about accessibility and possible emotional dependency. Discussion: These findings suggest that inclusive social robot design should prioritize modificable sensory features, moderated anthropomorphism, predictable interaction patterns, and personalization mechanisms that account for individual, gender-related, and diagnostic differences.