THEATRICAL ART AS A MEANS OF DEVELOPING INTERPERSONAL SKILLS IN PUPILS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS

Come Play With Me

This study is a literature review of peer-based interventions in improving social interaction in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Using a literature review approach, we searched for relevant literature to identify the effect of peer-based interventions in overcoming difficulties in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in their social interactions. The literature search was conducted through credible search engines such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and others. The search includes keywords such as "autism spectrum disorder" "peer mediated intervention" "social skill" "interaction skill" and other variations with a period of 2019-2023. The results of this study indicate that peer-based interventions can improve social engagement in children with ASD. Factors such as similar interests, support and positive feedback from peer coaches, and adult monitoring play a role in the success of the intervention. Although there is variation between studies, these findings provide a strong basis for understanding the important role of interest-based interventions in supporting the development of social interactions in children with ASD. Practical implications include the need for individualized approaches and integration of interest-based interventions into special education programs. This study also identifies knowledge gaps and recommends future research directions to continue to enrich our understanding of effective intervention strategies to improve social interaction skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects 1 out of every 54 children in the United States, impairing their social skills and independence. Current evidence from clinical trials and meta-analyses suggests that, individually, both music therapy and interaction with typically developing peers (TD) can improve social skills in children with ASD. However, there are no clearly defined parameters for the combined efficacy of these interventions and their long-term effects. Therefore, conducting new studies in this area is of utmost importance not only for the scientific community but also for children with ASD and their caregivers. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a new add-on therapy on improving social interaction skills in children with severe ASD –the MusT-In Therapy– which combines music therapy and interaction with TD peers. Methods: This is a phase II single-center, two-arm, parallel-group, randomized 1:1, assessor-blinded trial. 116 children with severe ASD (3-6 years old) will be assigned to either the standard of care or 30 weekly sessions of the MusT-In therapy plus standard of care. Improvement in social interaction will be assessed after 30 therapy sessions with the Vineland Scale 3rd edition as the primary outcome. Follow-up assessment of the outcome will be at 1 and 3 months after the intervention has finished. Discussion: Given the lack of robust evidence-based therapies for ASD, the development of new treatments is paramount. Children with severe ASD have been underrepresented in previous trials and parental burden increases with the severity of the spectrum. If our intervention proves to be effective it could be the basis of a new treatment option.

The present thesis investigates effect of including training in theory of mind (TOM) as part of a social skills training programme for students with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In addition, it reviews 'best practices' in social skills training and programming for students with an ASD. The social skills deficits shown by students with an ASD are often considered to be core of disorder (Frith, 1991). This has frequently resulted in social skills interventions being utilised in therapy with students with an ASD. In last ten years, debate has arisen over whether TOM deficits of students with an ASD could be at core of their social skills deficits and therefore at core of disorder. TOM is defined as the ability to infer other people's mental states (their thoughts, beliefs, desires, and intentions) and ability to use this information to interpret what they say, to make sense of their behaviour and predict what they will do next (Howlin, Baron-Cohen, & Hadwin, 1999,p. 2). In present research, social skills training was used to improve social and communication skills, as well as TOM ability of nine students with an ASD. The participants ranged in age from 6 to 13 years and were purposefully selected because of pronounced deficits in their social skills development. Two studies were conducted with nine participants. Study One consisted of a functional assessment of current skills of participants, with a focus on analysing their social skills, self-esteem, and theory of mind ability The Self-Esteem Inventory and Behaviour Rating Form developed by Coopersmith (1963) was administered to participants to assess their self-esteem levels. For theory of mind, participants were presented with four theory of mind tests adapted by Ozonoff and Miller (1995) to assess their first, second and third order TOM ability. The Structured Learning Checklist developed by Goldstein, Sprafkin, Gershaw, and Klein (1993) was administered to parents, teachers, teacher-aides and participants themselves to assess participants' social skills status. The results suggested that students had a range of social skill and theory of mind problems in testing situations and that these problems were further accentuated in real life situations. Results from functional analysis were then used to design and develop intervention procedures for Study Two. The interventions were designed to improve participants' social skills and theory of mind ability and to replace any challenging behaviours with functionally equivalent social skills. This involved an intervention study using a multiple baseline across participants design. The focus of intervention was to teach appropriate social skills to each individual student with an emphasis on generalising these skills to real life situations. Furthermore, intervention aimed to provide each student with training in theory of mind with a view to assessing transfer and maintenance to everyday situations. Intervention relied on a variety of techniques such as modelling, rehearsal, guided practice, positive feedback, role-play, and use of video feedback. The results suggest that social skills and theory of mind can be improved by social skills training. Implications for intervention strategies, programming, and treatment of students with an ASD are discussed and 'best practices' for social skills programming with students with an ASD identified.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have impairment in interpreting emotional communication and the mental states of others, which limits their social competence. Mounting evidence has suggested that theory of mind (ToM) is a vital strategy to enhance social communication and interaction skills of children with ASD. However, very little research has looked at how ToM and social skills training affect social competence in adolescents with autism. This study examined the effectiveness of an intervention program, ToM-SS, which integrated the ToM and social skills training to improve the social competence of three adolescents with autism. A multiple baseline across behaviors design was adopted to evaluate the participants' learning outcomes and demonstrated a functional relationship between intervention and skill mastery. Results show that the intervention produced substantial improvements in students' acquisition of ToM (e.g., seeing leads to knowing and identifying desire-based and context-based emotions) and targeted social skills (e.g., praising others, expressing emotion and seeking help). Feedback and comments from teachers and parents also indicate good social validity of the intervention program.

If you have concerns about your child’s development and behavior, your child should be seen to tell if she needs therapy. You do not need a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to begin many kinds of therapy. There can be a long wait for ASD diagnosis, so it is important to start therapy while your child is still waiting for a diagnosis. However, once your child is diagnosed with ASD, she may be able to get more interventions, such as applied behavioral analysis (ABA). It is important to have your child seen by an ASD specialist even if your child is already receiving intervention.The goals of any autism intervention are to help your child achieve his potential by learning key life skills in the areas that are hard for him. Most ASD therapy focuses on improving social communication and interaction skills and on reducing problem behaviors such as not being flexible or wanting to do the same thing over and over. Autism therapy can be provided at home, at school, or in a clinic setting. Most children with ASD need therapy in more than one setting. Most autism intervention is usually provided by speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists, or behavioral analysts.When deciding what kinds of interventions to pick for your child, it is important to think about which of them are evidence based, or shown to work in scientific studies. No matter what approach is used it is very important that you and other caregivers get involved. Then you can use the approach at home and in the community with your child.You might want to start by finding out what intervention types are available in your area. Consider what kinds of intervention will be covered through your child’s school and/or health insurance programs. Talk with your child’s pediatrician, other parents, and community organizations to get a better idea about what will be the right fit for your family.For some families, there may not be many choices. For instance, there may be only one ABA provider in your area that is covered under your child’s insurance. Keep in mind that the individual provider is just as important as the type of intervention. You may need to try several types of intervention to find one that is the best match for your child. It is also important to think about how your child’s needs may change over time. Set aside time every year to look at the services your child is getting and to see if they are meeting your child’s needs.Autism therapy in school (including early intervention, early childhood special education, and public school) is your child’s legal right under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and it is free to your family. To get autism therapy through your school system, you need to ask for an Individualized Family Service Plan (for children younger than 5) or an Individualized Education Program (for children older than 5). Ask your child’s pediatrician if you need help with this. Schools must provide autism-related therapy to children within a few months of a request.Intervention services can also be given through your child’s health insurance. How much and what kinds of services your child’s insurance will pay for depends on the type of insurance and where you live. Many states have laws that make health insurers cover autism therapy services, even up to 40 hours per week. You can look online to find out what the autism therapy coverage laws are in your state. Intervention services through your child’s health insurance may require a co-pay. You can call your insurance company to find out what is covered under your child’s health plan and how much you will have to pay. You can also ask them for a list of in-network autism intervention providers, to lower costs to your family.Getting autism intervention services is usually hard. You and your child’s pediatrician may need to fill out a lot of paperwork, and your child may be placed on a long waiting list. Sometimes you will be asked to have more tests done before therapy can be started. It will help to stay organized and get help from your child’s pediatrician, social worker, child psychiatrist, family counselor, or community organizations. It is normal to feel frustrated, confused, or “stuck.” Remember that your job as a parent is to advocate for what your child needs, so don’t feel bad about checking in with providers if you have been waiting for a long time.Early intervention and early childhood special education are programs given through the educational system for children aged 0 to 3 (early intervention) or 3 to 5 (early childhood special education). These services are offered either in your home or in a center. Early intervention and early childhood special education are available locally in all parts of the United States. These services can be just for autism or can be more general, such as speech therapy. You can refer your child for these services, and you do not need any paperwork from a doctor or school to do so. The best way to find out how to get these resources in your state is to ask your child’s pediatrician or look online. Once you have made a request, federal law requires that your child be seen in 45 days and that therapy be given to your child if she needs it. Early intervention and early childhood special education programs use many different kinds of autism intervention, some of which are described in this handout.Applied behavioral analysis is an intervention that teaches children developmental, social, and language skills. The therapy is intensive, which for most children means at least 15 hours per week. Therapy is usually covered through your child’s medical insurance. Applied behavioral analysis can be done at home or in the clinic or community. It also typically involves a lot of parent participation.In ABA therapy, goals are set by a therapy team, and the therapist works with the child and sometimes the parent, one goal at a time. A strong ABA program will consider your child’s favorite interests and activities, have a good learning environment, develop clear behavioral plans, measure your child’s progress, and work with your child at home and in other places your child often visits.Although ABA will not cure your child’s ASD, studies show ABA works in skill building and improvement in challenging behaviors. Some say that more hours per week of therapy works better than fewer hours.There are several different approaches to ABA therapy. Some common evidence-based approaches includeMany ABA providers use a combination of approaches.Developmental relationship interventions focus on teaching adults how to improve a child’s communication and social skills through play. By playing with others, children learn to communicate, control their emotions, and understand more about social relationships. These interventions have been shown to improve ASD symptoms like social attention in scientific studies. Some common evidence-based developmental interventions includeNaturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBIs) use both ideas from ABA and ideas from developmental relationship interventions. They focus on child-led teaching, chances for natural learning, clear goals, and measuring progress. The most studied NDBI is the Early Start Denver Model, which has been shown in small studies to improve IQ and problem behaviors of children who have ASD.Recent evidence shows that parents can be good autism therapists for their child when given the right tools. Training sessions for parents and other caregivers can happen in the home, the school, or other community settings, or even through an electronic tablet. JASPER (Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, & Regulation) is an example of an evidence-based parent training intervention for ASD. Other parent training programs may be available in your area.Many children with ASD have a hard time having conversations, understanding social cues (such as eye contact or facial expressions), or playing with others. Social skills instruction is used mainly for school-aged children with ASD, both at school and outside of school. Social skills instruction can happen one-on-one with an adult, or with a small group of other children. There have also been some studies showing that video and computer social skills training may also help children. An example of an evidence-based social skills intervention for teens is the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills intervention. If you are interested in social skills instruction for your child with ASD, you can ask your child’s school, or contact your child’s pediatrician to find a program in the community.Other types of treatment that might help your child include speech therapy, alternative and augmentative communication therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. These therapies are often not just for ASD but for more general problems that these children face. These types of therapies are often available both at school and through your child’s health insurance.The information contained in this resource should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances. Original resource included as part of Caring for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Practical Resource Toolkit for Clinicians, 3rd Edition.Inclusion in this resource does not imply an endorsement by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP is not responsible for the content of the resources mentioned in this resource. Website addresses are as current as possible but may change at any time.The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not review or endorse any modifications made to this resource and in no event shall the AAP be liable for any such changes.

One of the main obstacles to full communication and socialization is the impairment of the communication sphere in children with autism spectrum disorder. Competent diagnostics will help to identify at what level of development of social and speech skills the child is and in the future to develop goals and objectives for correctional work. This article discusses the problem of diagnosing the formation of speech and social skills in children with autism spectrum disorder, describes the results of a diagnostic study, based on the analysis of the results, formulates conclusions about the level of development of speech and social skills. Analysis of the data obtained showed that the survey participants were insufficiently developed in all categories of skills acquired through VB-MAPP. The least developed were the skills of naming objects, expressing requests, social skills. Based on these results, it can be concluded that children with autism spectrum disorder experience the greatest difficulties in social contacts, such as difficulties in making requests, interacting with people and in the absence of reactions to speech addressed to them. In this regard, difficulties occur in the development of speech skills. The survey showed that all participants in the experiment need an intensive program of correctional work, including work on the development of communication skills, speech understanding; training in cooperation, social and play skills. The research results can be used in the development of individual correctional and pedagogical work on the development of communication skills in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders.

Social Communication: A Framework for Assessment and Intervention

Recent research has suggested that temporal sequencing of narrative events might be a domain-general ability that underlies oral narrative capacities. The current study investigated this issue in a group of children with known pragmatic and narrative difficulties, namely Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We hypothesized (1) that children with ASD (n = 45) would retell narratives of poorer quality than both chronological age-matched (CAM) children and younger children matched on sentence-level language skills (LM), and (2) that nonverbal temporal sequencing skills would uniquely predict individual differences in oral narrative performance in children with ASD. The results show that children with ASD performed poorer on all measures of oral narrative quality compared with the CAM group, and on eight of ten measures compared with the LM group. Thus, our first hypothesis was confirmed, suggesting that narrative difficulties in ASD cannot be fully explained by impaired language. The second hypothesis was only partly confirmed: nonverbal temporal sequencing explained significant or marginally significant variance in some, but not all, aspects of oral narrative performance of children with ASD. These results are discussed from theoretical and clinical/educational perspectives, in relation to the heterogeneity of language skills in ASD and to domain-general features of narrative processing.

This study aims to identify the phenomenon of many social problems, especially in the scope of students' interpersonal skills, which are the center of attention today, because the development of interpersonal skills is important in helping students adjust and form social relationships. The purpose of this study was to analyze the role of social studies teachers in supporting the development of students' interpersonal skills in the school environment. This study uses a quantitative approach to the type of correlational research. The design of this study used ex post facto which was carried out in class VIII at MTs 2 Negeri Garut in the 2021/2022 academic year as the population. The sampling technique used in this study is simple random sampling where this technique provides the same opportunity/opportunity for each element or member of the population selected to be the research sample. The variables in this study include the role of social studies teachers (X) and students' interpersonal skills (Y). The sample in this study amounted to 32 respondents. The instruments used in this research are questionnaires and documentation studies. After the data is collected in hypothesis testing, the product moment correlation test and the coefficient of determination test are used which are processed with the help of SPSS 16 for Windows and Microsoft Excel. The results of the study describe that there is a significant relationship between the teacher's role variable and the interpersonal skills of students at MTs Negeri 2 Garut. The magnitude of the relationship between the two variables is 0.480. Where the value is in the medium category. The magnitude of the contribution of the influence of the teacher's role on the interpersonal skills of students is around 23.1%.

The article presents an analysis of theoretical principles and methodological approaches within the framework of research schools both in the United States and Russia; these schools provide the basis for the development of effective learning and communication skills for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The authors consider the indicators for communication disorders in children with ASD, as well as the main strategies for overcoming them in the context of utilizing verbal behavior analysis (B.F. Skinner, M.L. Sundberg, J.W. Partington, and M.L. Barbera - USA), the tradition of cultural-historical psychology (L.S. Vygotsky, D.B. Elkonin, B.D. Elkonin - Russia), reflective-activity approach (A.N. Leontiev, V.K. Zaretsky – Russia), the theory of systemic dynamic localization of higher mental functions(A.R. Luria – Russia), and method of ”replacing ontogenesis” (B.A. Arkhipov, A.V. Semenovich Russia). Despite the differences in methodologies used by American and Russian scholars, the most important idea is that the researchers and practitioners of both schools have common goal: to concentrate their efforts on developing social interaction skills in children with ASD, which helps them to better adjust in their lives and function in the social environment.

Background and Objectives: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by a range of deficits across cognitive, sensory, motor, emotional, language, and social domains, which can significantly hinder daily functioning and social interactions. This study explores the differences in brain activity between children with ASD and typically developing peers, focusing on their responses to face and face pareidolia stimuli. Materials and Methods: A group comprising ten typically developing children (four males, six females), aged between 6 and 16 years, alongside eleven children diagnosed with ASD (three males, eight females), whose ages ranged from 6 to 15 years, were engaged in the pilot study. We recorded brain electrical activity using electroencephalography (EEG) while participants viewed images of face and face pareidolia images. Following face and pareidolia stimulus presentation, delta and theta powers in the 0.5-4 Hz and 4-6 Hz frequency ranges and within the 140-190 ms time window were analyzed for both typically developing children and children with ASD. Results: The research result reveals that children with ASD show lower amplitude and delayed latency in their EEG responses, particularly in the theta and delta frequency bands, when processing images that evoke face pareidolia. Conclusions: The findings suggest that while children with ASD face challenges in recognizing faces, they may still possess some perceptual abilities that could be harnessed for therapeutic interventions. Moreover, this research highlights the potential of the face pareidolia paradigm to provide insights that could inform future strategies aimed at enhancing social attention and interaction skills in children with ASD. Despite the limitations of the current sample size, this study provides a valuable foundation for future investigations. Expanding the participant pool will be crucial for confirming and generalizing these findings.

Practice Parameter for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Objectives Despite the numerous benefits of regular participation in physical activities for health and social engagement, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who experience difficulties in social and behavioral skills are less likely to participate in physical activities compared to their peers. There is a need for more research on the impact of regular participation in physical activities on social and behavioral skills in children diagnosed with ASD. This study aimed to compare the social and behavioral skills of children diagnosed with ASD who participate in physical activity with those who do not. Methods The participants are parents of children diagnosed with ASD (n = 60). The study group (n = 30;12.33 ± 1.58 years) attended a rehabilitation center and a sports club, and the control group (n = 30; 12.57 ± 1.52 years) attended a rehabilitation center constituted two study groups. The Autism Behavior Checklist was used to assess the behavioral skills of children diagnosed with ASD aged 10–15, and the Social Skills Assessment Scale was used to evaluate their social skill levels based on their participation in physical activity. Results According to the analysis, statistically significant differences were found in the social skill scale and behavioral skills of children who participated in physical activity compared to those who did not. (p < .001). Additionally, the prediction of social skills’ behavior was examined by regression analysis. Accordingly, social skills predicted behaviors in the group participating in physical activity; it was found that it did not predict the group that did not participate in physical activity. Conclusions There was a difference between the behavioral and social skills of children diagnosed with ASD between the ages of 10–15 who do and do not participate in physical activity. This was an indication that physical activity was a positive aspect. It is recommended that future studies examine the effect of physical activity on children with autism more thoroughly.

Psychotherapy has undergone a widespread change recently, with many interventions now available as wireless device apps or online courses. The current study compared the efficacy of an online program with a personal group treatment intervention. The in-person group (n = 37) attended a 6-day workshop called Tapping Deep Intimacy that focused on the development of interpersonal skills. The online group (n = 37) consumed to the same information in the form of a 12-week online course. The content of both courses was drawn from the curriculum for Whole Energy Lifestyle, which trains participants in 12 evidence-based interpersonal and stress-reduction skills designed to reduce emotional triggering and promote health. These include mindfulness, breathwork, meditation (EcoMeditation), heart coherence, Clinical Emotional Freedom Techniques, active listening, and qigong. In both groups, depression, anxiety, and relationship satisfaction were assessed pre, post, and at 1-year follow-up. Anxiety reduced in the in-person but not the online group. Significant improvements in depression (p < 0.001) were found in both groups, although sharper symptom declines were found in the in-person group. A 29% improvement in relationship satisfaction was found in both groups (p < 0.003), and both maintained their gains over time. Anxiety and depression symptoms were much higher in the in-person group pretest despite similar demographic characteristics, suggesting differences in the population that uses online courses. These preliminary findings suggest that while online programs may play a role in the development of stress-reduction and interpersonal skills, it cannot be assumed that they mirror the therapeutic efficacy of in-person treatment in every dimension.