Introduction
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a family of mental disorders that cause deficits of social awareness, communication skills, and stereotyped behaviors. The primary method of intervention is studies of the development of social behavior in children with identified ASD. This paper analyzes the elements of such interventions, their utilization and success.
Methods
For this review, a number of scholarly articles were selected from the search engine results. The primary criteria for materials were keywords related to this mental disorder and other issues with the development of communication in children. Seventeen articles from various peer-reviewed journals were chosen for this analysis, based on their participants’ age and diagnosis, study designs, and which social skills were in focus. Different types of interventions were included in the study, such as therapeutic activities, interviews with teachers or researchers, and by using video materials or peers.
Results
The researchers have examined how interventions were implemented in these studies and found that children with ASD demonstrate social behavior differently in varied settings and interact with various peers, teachers, or researchers. Information about participants’ response was analyzed by independent psychologists, who monitored their functioning during the study. Studies on social skill maintenance reported that 85% of participants maintained the skill during the research (Gillis & Butler, 2007). In turn, the examination of the application of social skills in unfamiliar settings with unfamiliar persons has shown that 70% of participants were able to apply social skills appropriately (Gillis & Butler, 2007).
Discussions
Different methods of promoting social behavior have a varied effect on skill retention and provided results (Gillis & Butler, 2007). Due to the specifics of each case, either a single-subject design or group study is applicable, and additional research on the efficiency of each method is required.
References
Gillis, J. M., & Butler, R. C. (2007). Social skills interventions for preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A description of single-subject design studies. Journal of Early and Intensive Behavior Intervention, 4(3), 532-547. doi: 10.1037/h0100390.