Applications of technology to teach social skills to children with autism

Children with autism spectrum disorder show deficits in social skills such as initiating conversation, responding in social situations, social problem-solving, and others. These deficits are targeted through the use of social skills interventions, some of which use a technology-based approach as a resource-efficient alternative to common forms of instruction. The current literature review aims to (a) determine the number of empirical studies using a technology-based social skills intervention, (b) explore the features of social skills targeted in these studies, and (c) analyze the number of studies reporting reliability of the dependent and independent variables. Results indicate that a majority of the studies relied on a video or DVD to deliver the intervention (modeling or feedback), were conducted in school settings, and targeted more than one social skill. The most common social skill addressed was initiating conversation followed by play skills. All but one study included standardized assessment before treatment; however, none of the studies used a published social skills assessment. Like previous research, reliability of the dependent variables was common; however, reliability of the independent variables was infrequent.

Research highlights
► A majority of studies used video/DVD technology (primarily video modeling).
► A majority of studies targeted multiple social skills.
► Most common social skill was initiating conversation followed by play skills.
► Studies did not use published social skills assessments to identify deficit.
► Dependent variable reliability was common, but not treatment integrity assessment.