Identifying the best protocol: Social engagement or groundwork prior to therapeutic riding?

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-30
Author(s):  
Betsy Kemeny, CTRS, PhD ◽  
Deborah Hutchins, CTRS, EdD ◽  
Courtney Gramlich, CTRS ◽  
Chelsea Craine, CTRS ◽  
Lindsey Crandell, CTRS
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Verbal Response ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Single Subject Design ◽  
Therapeutic Riding ◽  
Adolescents With Autism ◽  
The Individual

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder may experience social isolation and decreased independence secondary to communication deficits. Limited evidence suggests therapeutic riding (TR) promotes social skills, but no protocol for TR with adolescents exists. This 8-week single-subject design measured social response to alternating treatments (groundwork or peer social engagement) prior to TR. Measures included a comparison of parent-report of social competence and a comparison of real-time and videotaped observations of six specific social skills. Data were analyzed by visual inspection of the graphed data and comparison of the descriptive statistics. Peer interaction prior to TR resulted in better verbal response while groundwork prior to TR resulted in better instruction following. In a departure from common practice of combining groundwork and TR, the specific goals and objectives for the individual with ASD should dictate whether a CTRS® should use social games or groundwork prior to TR.

School-Based Social Skills Training for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 256-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith C. Radley ◽  
Melissa B. McHugh ◽  
Traci Taber ◽  
Allison A. Battaglia ◽  
W. Blake Ford
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Social Functioning ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Social Skills Training ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Teacher Ratings ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Sociometric Status ◽  
Baseline Design

The present study evaluated the effects of the Superheroes Social Skills program, a social skills curriculum for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Previous research has found the curriculum to improve social engagements of children with ASD during unstructured recess periods but has been limited in research design and lack of maintenance data. Five elementary-age participants with current placements in inclusive public school settings were included in the study. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to determine the effects of the intervention on social engagement during unstructured recess periods, as well as teacher ratings of social functioning and sociometric status. Visual and statistical analyses of data indicate increased social engagement of participants during recess periods following introduction of social skills training. Improvements were also observed in teacher ratings of social functioning and sociometric status. Limitations of the current study are also discussed.

Using digital social stories to improve social skills in children with autism: a pilot experimental single-subject study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed F. Safi ◽  
Maitha Alnuaimi ◽  
Abdelaziz Sartawi
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Causal Relation ◽  
Social Stories ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Intervention Phase ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face difficulty with educational attainment because of to their inability to interact with others. One intervention that is used to increase social skills in individuals with ASD is social stories. This study aimed at exploring the impact of digital social stories in improving social skills of two students with ASD in the UAE. Design/methodology/approach An experimental AB single-subject study was conducted to investigate the impact of digital social stories on nonverbal communication, targeting two specific behaviors: raising hands before leaving one’s seat (TB1) and playing and sharing toys with peers (TB2). Two digital social stories (DSS1 and DSS2) were developed for the purpose of this study and transformed using a digital platform to be displayed on an iPad (tablet). Findings This study involved two male participants with ASD (10 and 11 years old). Participant one demonstrated improvement in TB1 (mean of 1.11) because of DSS1 in the intervention phase. Participant two demonstrated improvement of 18% in TB2 ( mean of 0.18) as a result of DSS2 in the intervention phase. Practical implications Both students that participated in the study showed a positive change in their target behaviors during the intervention phase intervention at different levels. Using an ABA study design would have been stronger in establishing a more valid causal relation in this single-subject design study. However, due the COVID-19 closures and curfews, the researchers had to switch to the AB design. Originality/value This study demonstrated how social stories had a positive impact on ASD social skills. Further, it indicated the potential effectiveness of using digital social stories to reduce undesirable behaviors or increase a desirable behaviors in children who have ASD.

The Effect of a motor-based, social skills intervention for adolescents with high-functioning autism: two single-subject design cases

2010 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 188-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon A. Gutman ◽  
Emily I. Raphael ◽  
Leila M. Ceder ◽  
Arshi Khan ◽  
Katherine M. Timp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
High Functioning Autism ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Single Subject Design ◽  
Social Skills Intervention ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Subject Design

scholarly journals Needs for a Healthy Eating Intervention for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 164-164
Author(s):  
Acadia Buro ◽  
Heewon Gray
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Nutrition Intervention ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Balanced Diet ◽  
Adolescents With Autism ◽  
Adolescents With Asd

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to better understand perceptions of healthy eating and a prospective nutrition intervention in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and parents of adolescents with ASD. Methods Four focus groups (n = 11) were conducted with adolescents with ASD aged 10–17, and nine interviews were conducted with parents of adolescents with ASD aged 10–17. Questions were semi-structured. Thematic and comparative analyses were conducted with ATLAS.ti 8 software. Results Several themes emerged. Adolescents and parents expressed a need for “nutrition guidelines and education” and discussed the importance of having “social engagement,” “visual components,” and “teen-led initiatives” in a nutrition intervention. When defining a healthy diet, both parents and adolescents mentioned the concept of a “balanced diet,” while parents also mentioned “clean foods.” Conclusions Adolescents with ASD represent an appropriate target audience for a healthy eating intervention, and an intervention should include visual and social components and teen-led initiatives. Funding Sources There was no funding source.

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