Recent Technologies to Improving Social and Communication Skills in Children with ASD: Systematization of Approaches and Methods

Tatjana Suslova,Rimma Aysina,Albina Nesterova

doi:10.5539/mas.v9n11p38

Abstract

<p>In the article recent technologies of formation and development of social and communication skills in children with autism spectrum disorders are analyzed. A systematic review summarizes the most effective and verified interventions of support to socialization of children with ASD: applied behavior analysis (ABA); cognitive-behavioral training (CBT); social stories method; social skills training (SST). We pay special attention to virtual technologies and video simulations so these methods allow to form social skills in children with ASD more efficiently and psychologically safe. Problems and prospects of using virtual technologies for children with ASD needs are discussed.<strong> </strong>The specificity of Russian practical experience and researches in development of heuristic technologies of development of social communication of persons with ASD is described: animal-assisted therapy, somatosensory correction, author art therapy and folk forms of intervention. On the basis of analytical work it is concluded that the gap between theory and practice needs to be neutralized, when scientifically unfounded practical developments are introduced in helping autistic people and researches of scientists are not always verified in an empirical manner.</p>

Highlights

Symptomatology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is extremely diverse and it is manifested at different levels of intellectual and language development, starting from early childhood and it's maintained throughout a person's life (Lebedinskij, 1985; Travis & Sigman, 1998; Nikol'skaja, Baenskaja, & Libling, 2007; Baron-Cohen, 2009; Melillo & Leisman, 2009).Key features of autism spectrum disorders were first described on the basis of 11 clinical observations of American physician L
Regardless of differences in symptomatology of autism spectrum disorders, each of them involves a sustainable violation of development of communication and social skills
Data of studies, carried out in different countries of the world, convincingly demonstrate that it is difficult for children with ASD to maintain contact with other people on verbal and non-verbal levels, to understand emotions of others and tell about their own feelings and experiences

Summary

Introduction

Symptomatology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is extremely diverse and it is manifested at different levels of intellectual and language development, starting from early childhood and it's maintained throughout a person's life (Lebedinskij, 1985; Travis & Sigman, 1998; Nikol'skaja, Baenskaja, & Libling, 2007; Baron-Cohen, 2009; Melillo & Leisman, 2009). Peer-Mediated Instruction and Intervention – PMII (interference mediated by peers) are used for training children with ASD in various methods of social interaction with support of neurotypical peers These technologies help autistic people to develop new forms of behavior and communication, to acquire social skills in natural environment of communication with normally developing children. In the US, virtual computer technologies of teaching communication skills to children of different ages and adults with ASD, contributing to successful social behavior became widely used: the ability to communicate with peers and adults, to solve everyday problems, to ask for help and advice, to choose a profession, to be able to participate in an interview for employment, etc.

Russian Experience in Supporting the Socialization of Autistic Children

Findings

Conclusion