Social Skills Interventions for Children with AutismSpectrum Disorders Based on Behaviour
Author(s):
Saleh Gadalla (presenting / submitting) Aref Alsehaimi (presenting)
Conference:
ECER 2015
Network:
04. Inclusive Education
Format:
Paper

Session Information

04 SES 03 C, Interventions

Paper Session

Time:
2015-09-08
17:15-18:45
Room:
429.Oktatóterem [C]
Chair:
Gottfried Biewer

Contribution

The aim of this paper was to extend the outcome of previous studies on social skills generalization in Autism spectrum disorder ASD. Social skills interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders based on behaviour of autism spectrum disorder was used to teach basic initiating and continuing skills to eight children from eight to ten years old who have high functioning ASD. This paper sought to determine whether a social skills intervention delivered through communication modification and direct instruction with a cumulative teaching design would be effective in promoting generalization of the skills to leisure time during recess. The use of peer facilitators in promoting the development of social skills has been successful and was used in this paper. However, even with the use of peer facilitators, generalization has been problematic in the literature. Children were observed in class and during recess to determine if skills were present in either setting at baseline. A multiple probe technique was used to document baseline and intervention levels of the twelve skills during class and recess. All eight of the children generalized their use of these skills during the intervention and follow-up. Generalization in the oldest child was observed one year later, at home, in class and increases are seen in the older children. The younger children generalized the use of skills to the classroom and during recess, but their increases are small and considered "seeds" of their social skills to be nourished and supported by continued communication modification and built on by further teaching. The outcome for this teaching design is very promising for the purpose of promoting generalization of skills for children with ASD. This design is flexible enough to serve primary through secondary children and children who may have performance as well as skill deficits, and those who are not fluent or who do not use them in all settings.

Method

METHODS Six principals and four teachers and the assistance of two district social worker, eight children with high functioning autism were recruited to participate in the paper. Individual meetings were held with the principals, teachers and parents involved. Individual meetings with the principals were scheduled to discuss the involvement of the regular education children, and to coordinate meetings with the parents in order to obtain permission for the children to participate in the paper. Individual meetings with the parents of the target children were scheduled through the district social worker who normally works with these children. One upper grade Special Day Class (autism) teacher and one primary Special Day Class (autism) teacher were invited to participate in the paper. Intervention Procedures Each of six of the eight ASD received the same number of hours of intervention teaching, cuing and observation. The seven and eight received less, due to his having a performance deficit rather than a skill deficit. However, all skills were taught, reviewed and practiced. The time was shorter due to their ability to both use and performs most of the skills. Instruction in the skills occurred the first three days of each week, in the school or home , delivered by the researcher. Practice occurred on the fourth day. Cued and uncured observation occurred on the fifth and sixth days, again by the researcher or instructional assistant.

Expected Outcomes

The major understandings from this paper about the promotion of social skills are that an Activity Theory based social skills intervention with a reiterative teaching design that uses direct instruction for delivery and semi structured enjoyable activities for the children to practice the skills is a viable intervention yielding positive generalization results. The intervention can be implemented in any classroom, but is especially effective with children with high functioning autism. Maintenance of the skills will depend on the environmental support for them, which brings into question the social environment in which the child is embedded. The second is the program move from the formal teaching environment of the classroom to the semi-structures game days to the total freedom of the playground. The constraints in this paper on teaching to criterion normally would be a major problem terms of moving toward automaticity, but because of the reiterative teaching design, and the repetitious practice of all of the skills, improvement will be seen for all the skills if the intervention is carried on for four weeks after the introduction of the last skill. The answer to the main query, does the use of an Activity Theory based social skills intervention increase the use of the skills in the classroom and generalize them to semi-structured social activities and free play during recess is yes, with some conditions relating to the child’s age. The results indicate that all eight subjects improved use of all the skills during recess. The answer to part of the second question concerning the use of different skills with different people in different situations was no. The children tended to use the same skills the same way in most situations. The final question concerning similarity of findings across the age groups the groupings are wrong.

References

Akshoomoff, N., Pierce, K., & Courchesen, E. (2002) .The neurobiological basis of autism from a developmental perspective. Dev Psychopathol, 14, 613-634. Anderson, A., Moore, D.W & Fletcher-Flinn, C.M. (2004).Social skills assessment of children with autism in free-play situations. Autism: the international journal of research and practice, 8,369-385. Bade-White, P. A., Obrzut, J. E., Philip, R. (2009). Neuropsychological Aspects of Pervasive developmental and autism spectrum disorders. In C.R Reynolds ., E. Fletcher-Janzen (Eds.), Handbook of clinical child neuropsychology (3nd .ed. pp.765-782).New York: Springer. Baird, G., Simonoff., E., Pickles, A.Chandler, S., Loucas, T.Meldrum,D& Charman. (2006).Prevalence of disorders of the autism spectrum in a population cohort of children in south Thames: the special needs and autism project (SNAP). The Journals Iancet, 36, 210-215. Chakrabarti, S & Fombonne, E. (2001).Pervasive Developmental Disorders in Preschool children. Journal of the American Medical Association, 285, 3093-3099. Charlop-Christy, M.H & Kelso, S.E. (2003).Teaching children with autism conversational speech using a cue card/written script program.Education and treatment of children, 26,108-129. Cohen,D.,Pichard,N.,Ordjman,S.,Baumann,C.,Burglen,L.,Excoffier,E.,Lazar,G.,Mazet ,P., Pinquier, C ., Verloes , A & Heron, D.(2005).Specific genetic disorders and autism: Clinical contribution towards their identification.Journal of autism and developmental disorders.35, 103-116. Detrich, P.(2008).Evidence-Based, empirically supported, or best practice? A guide for the scientist-practitioner. In J.K.Luiselli., D.C.Russo., Christian, W.P & S.M.Wilcyznski (Eds.), Effective practices for children with autism: educational and behavioral support interventions that work (PP.3-26). New York: Oxford University Press. DiCicco-Bloom,E.,Lord,C.,Zwaigenbaum,L.,Courchesne,E.,Dager,S. R., Schmitz, C ,Schultz,R. T.,Crawley, J & Young,.L.J.(2006).The developmental neurobiology of autism spectrum disorder. The Journal of Neuroscience, 26, 6897-6906. Diez-Cuervo, A. (2007).Genetic Research into Autistic Disorder. In J.M.Perez., P.M.Gonzalez., M.L.Comi & C. Nieto (Eds.). New Development in Autism: The future is today (PP. 290-309). Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Author Information

Saleh Gadalla (presenting / submitting)
University of Dundee, Scotland, UK & Omar Al-Muktar University, Libya
Dundee
Aref Alsehaimi (presenting)
University of Dundee

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