Building Social Skills: An Investigation of a LEGO-Centered Social Skills Intervention

Abstract

Recent researchers have suggested that the incorporation of participant interests into social skills training may be an effective training strategy for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). One frequently reported interest, LEGOs, has been evaluated in several studies. As no studies to date have evaluated whether LEGO-based social skills training results in improvements in discrete social skills taught, the current study sought to do so. Four children with ASD attended a twice-weekly social skills program in which skills were taught in the context of playing with LEGOs. Using behavioral skills training, participants were taught discrete social skills through playing with LEGOS. Results of the study suggest that participants generally improved in skill accuracy during probes with researchers. Generalization of skills to novel peers was more limited. Participants reported having a moderately positive view of the intervention. Social skills instruction combining behavioral skills training and participant interests was effective in increasing social skill accuracy in training settings.