Breaking Barriers: Transforming Social Skills in Autistic Children Through Intervention

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that causes substantial problems in social communication and interactions in young individuals. The objective of the study was to identify social skills issues among children diagnosed with ASD and test the efficacy of an intervention program on social interactions. The study used pretest-posttest experimental research design, including 25 participants suffering from autism ranging between the ages of 7-18 years attending a special school for education located in Gujranwala, Pakistan. Participants were purposefully selected for the experiment. Assessment of social responsivity was done using Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (SRS-2). Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and paired-samples t-tests via IBM SPSS Statistics. As a result, a significant increase in peer interaction skills was obtained. In particular, mean values rose from 42.36 (SD = 6.85) at pre-test level to 61.48 (SD = 7.12) at post-test one. Paired-samples t-test demonstrated that there was a statistically significant difference between the mean values: t(24) = -16.05, p < .001 (very large effect size, Cohen’s d = 2.69). Thus, based on the obtained results, it is possible to conclude that multicomponent intervention programs may be used for developing peer interaction skills and enhancing social competencies in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study indicates that such programs should be applied, especially in educational settings, with teachers, caregivers, and parents playing key roles in the process.