A Pilot Randomised Control Trial of Digitally-Mediated Social Stories for Children on the Autism Spectrum

R Hanrahan,M Brosnan,A Constantin,E Smith,H Johnson

doi:10.1007/s10803-020-04490-8

R Hanrahan, M Brosnan + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04490-8

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Abstract

Social stories is a widely used intervention for children on the autism spectrum, particularly within an educational context. To date, systematic reviews and meta analyses of the research evaluating social stories has produced mixed results, often due to a lack of methodological rigour and variability in the development and delivery of the social stories. To address the gap in methodological rigour, a pilot Randomised Control Trial (RCT) was conducted, incorporating a social stories intervention group (n = 9 children on the autism spectrum) and an attentional control group who received a poem (n = 6 children on the autism spectrum) using a digital platform to address variability. Digitally-mediated social stories were found to be effective in producing beneficial changes in behaviour outcomes, which were sustained at a six-week follow up.

Highlights

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterised by persistent impairments in social interaction and communication across contexts, including deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, nonverbal communication, and relationship formation (APA 2013)
Despite social stories being a widely used intervention for children on the autism spectrum, only four previous Randomised Control Trial (RCT) have been identified, all of which targeted a single behaviour for all participants
In order to address this limitation in the literature, for the first time the present study utilised a rigorous, ecologically valid pilot RCT to investigate the effectiveness of a social story intervention in addressing maladaptive behaviours in children on the autism spectrum within an educational context using an iPad

Summary

Introduction

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterised by persistent impairments in social interaction and communication across contexts, including deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, nonverbal communication, and relationship formation (APA 2013). Not a diagnostic criterion, approximately two thirds of children on the autism spectrum exhibit maladaptive behaviours (or challenging behaviours, or problem behaviours; Hartley et al 2008). These include internalising behaviours such as obsessions and withdrawal and/or externalising behaviours such as aggression and inattention (Hartley et al 2008; see Carter Leno et al 2019). The high prevalence of maladaptive behaviours in children on the autism spectrum and the association with caregiver stress and child anxiety emphasises the need for

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