Improvement in Social Competence Using a Randomized Trial of a Theatre Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders 2016-02, Vol.46 (2), p.658-672
• Main Authors: Corbett, Blythe A., Key, Alexandra P., Qualls, Lydia, Fecteau, Stephanie, Newsom, Cassandra, Coke, Catherine, Yoder, Paul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescents; Analysis; Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorder - therapy; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Autistic children; Behavior; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Brain; Brain research; Care and treatment; Child; Child and School Psychology; Children; Clinical research; Clinical trials; Cognition; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive Processes; Communication; Communication (Thought Transfer); Comparative Analysis; Complications and side effects; Control Groups; Delayed; Delayed memory; Departments; Discourse; Efficacy; Experimental Groups; Female; Health aspects; Humans; Instructional Effectiveness; Intercultural Communication; Interpersonal Competence; Interpersonal relations; Interpersonal Relationship; Intervention; Male; Memory; Neuropsychology; Neurosciences; Original Paper; Outcomes of Treatment; Pediatrics; Peers; Perspective Taking; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Pilot Projects; Play Therapy; Psychology; Public Health; Randomized Controlled Trials; Recognition (Psychology); Resistance (Psychology); Skill Development; Social Behavior; Social Cognition; Social interaction; Social Skills; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Theater; Theater Arts; Theory of Mind; Toys
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-015-2600-9

The efficacy of a peer-mediated, theatre-based intervention on social competence in participants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was tested. Thirty 8-to-14 year-olds with ASD were randomly assigned to the treatment (n = 17) or a wait-list control (n = 13) group. Immediately after treatment, group effects were seen on social ability, (d = .77), communication symptoms (d = −.86), group play with toys in the company of peers (d = .77), immediate memory of faces as measured by neuropsychological (d = .75) and ERP methods (d = .93), delayed memory for faces (d = .98), and theory of mind (d = .99). At the 2 month follow-up period, group effects were detected on communication symptoms (d = .82). The results of this pilot clinical trial provide initial support for the efficacy of the theatre-based intervention.