Abstract
The extant literature on social communication interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been well reviewed. However, current reviews of the literature indicate more research is needed on advanced social skills for young children with ASD. These more complex social skills, such as sustaining a conversation, showing empathy, or telling a joke, are critical for peer acceptance in the elementary school years. In the current paper, we reviewed the existing single-case literature on social communication interventions for advanced social skills for young (4–12-year-old) children with ASD. We define advanced social skills using the task analysis of the Social Behavior and Social Play—Level 3 subsection of the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP). Electronic database searches of Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Academic Search Premier, and PsycINFO were conducted. Results revealed a library of useful interventions for a specific set of social communication skills; however, some crucial skills for children with ASD were missing from the results. Directions for future research and practice are discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Baer, D. M., Wolf, M. M., & Risley, T. R. (1987). Some still-current dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 20(4), 313–327.
Baird, G., Charman, T., Baron-Cohen, S., Cox, A., Swettenham, J., Wheelwright, S., & Drew, A. (2000). A screening instrument for autism at 18 months of age: a 6-year follow-up study. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 39(6), 694–702.
Banda, D. R., Hart, S. L., & Liu-Gitz, L. (2010). Impact of training peers and children with autism on social skills during center time activities in inclusive classrooms. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 4(4), 619–625.
Barton, E. E., & Pavilanis, R. (2012). Teaching pretend play to young children with autism. Young Exceptional Children, 15(1), 5–17.
Bellini, S., & Akullian, J. (2007). A meta-analysis of video modeling and video self-modeling interventions for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Exceptional Children, 73(3), 264–287.
Bock, M. A. (2007). The impact of social--behavioral learning strategy training on the social interaction skills of four students with asperger syndrome. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 22(2), 88–95.
Boer, A., Pijl, S. J., Post, W., & Minnaert, A. (2013). Peer acceptance and friendships of students with disabilities in general education: The role of child, peer, and classroom variables. Social Development, 22(4), 831–844.
Boyd, B. A., Baranek, G. T., Sideris, J., Poe, M. D., Watson, L. R., Patten, E., & Miller, H. (2010). Sensory features and repetitive behaviors in children with autism and developmental delays. Autism Research, 3(2), 78–87.
Bulgren, J., Schumaker, J. B., & Deshler, D. D. (1988). Effectiveness of a concept teaching routine in enhancing the performance of LD students in secondary-level mainstream classes. Learning Disability Quarterly, 11(1), 3–17.
Callahan, K., Henson, R. K., & Cowan, A. K. (2008). Social validation of evidence-based practices in autism by parents, teachers, and administrators. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(4), 678–692.
Capps, L., Kehres, J., & Sigman, M. (1998). Conversational abilities among children with autism and children with developmental delays. Autism, 2(4), 325–344.
Chamberlain, B., Kasari, C., & Rotheram-Fuller, E. (2007). Involvement or isolation? The social networks of children with autism in regular classrooms. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37(2), 230–242.
Charlop-Christy, M. H., Le, L., & Freeman, K. A. (2000). A comparison of video modeling with in vivo modeling for teaching children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30(6), 537–552.
Cheng, Y., Chiang, H. C., Ye, J., & Cheng, L. H. (2010). Enhancing empathy instruction using a collaborative virtual learning environment for children with autistic spectrum conditions. Computers & Education, 55(4), 1449–1458.
Daubert, A., Hornstein, S., & Tincani, M. (2015). Effects of a modified power card strategy on turn taking and social commenting of children with autism spectrum disorder playing board games. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 27(1), 93–110.
Deitchman, C., Reeve, S. A., Reeve, K. F., & Progar, P. R. (2010). Incorporating video feedback into self-management training to promote generalization of social initiations by children with autism. Education and Treatment of Children, 33(3), 475–488.
Delano, M., & Snell, M. E. (2006). The effects of social stories on the social engagement of children with autism. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 8(1), 29–42.
DeQuinzio, J. A., Townsend, D. B., & Poulson, C. L. (2008). The effects of forward chaining and contingent social interaction on the acquisition of complex sharing responses by children with autism. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2(2), 264–275.
Ferraioli, S. J., & Harris, S. L. (2011). Effective educational inclusion of students on the autism spectrum. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 41(1), 19–28.
Fox, C. L., Hunter, S. C., & Jones, S. E. (2016). Longitudinal associations between humor styles and psychosocial adjustment in adolescence. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 12(3), 377.
Gantman, A., Kapp, S. K., Orenski, K., & Laugeson, E. A. (2012). Social skills training for young adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders: a randomized controlled pilot study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(6), 1094–1103.
Ganz, J. B., & Flores, M. M. (2008). Effects of the use of visual strategies in play groups for children with autism spectrum disorders and their peers. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(5), 926–940.
Gast, D. L. (2010). Single subject research methodology in behavioral sciences. New York: Routledge 488 pages. Paperback.
Golan, O., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2006). Systemizing empathy: teaching adults with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism to recognize complex emotions using interactive multimedia. Development and Psychopathology, 18(2), 591–617.
Golan, O., Ashwin, E., Granader, Y., McClintock, S., Day, K., Leggett, V., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2010). Enhancing emotion recognition in children with autism spectrum conditions: An intervention using animated vehicles with real emotional faces. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40(3), 269–279.
Goldstein, H. (2002). Communication intervention for children with autism: a review of treatment efficacy. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32(5), 373–396.
Goldstein, H., Romski, M. A., & Sevcik, R. (2014). Where does social validity measurement fit into identifying and developing evidence-based practices. Examining the science and practice of communication interventions for individuals with severe disabilities. Baltimore: Brookes.
Gray, C. A., & Garand, J. D. (1993). Social stories: Improving responses of students with autism with accurate social information. Focus on Autistic Behavior, 8(1), 1–10.
Gulsrud, A. C., Hellemann, G. S., Freeman, S. F., & Kasari, C. (2014). Two to ten years: Developmental trajectories of joint attention in children with ASD who received targeted social communication interventions. Autism Research, 7(2), 207–215.
Hadwin, J., Baron-Cohen, S., Howlin, P., & Hill, K. (1997). Does teaching theory of mind have an effect on the ability to develop conversation in children with autism? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 27(5), 519–537.
Hancock, T. B., & Kaiser, A. P. (2002). The effects of trainer-implemented enhanced milieu teaching on the social communication of children with autism. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 22(1), 39–54.
Hansen, S. G., Blakely, A. W., Dolata, J. K., Raulston, T., & Machalicek, W. (2014). Children with autism in the inclusive preschool classroom: a systematic review of single-subject design interventions on social communication skills. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1(3), 192–206.
Hartup, W. W. (1996). The company they keep: friendships and their developmental significance. Child Development, 67(1), 1–13.
Hine, J. F., & Wolery, M. (2006). Using point-of-view video modeling to teach play to preschoolers with autism. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 26(2), 83–93.
Horner, R. H., Carr, E. G., Halle, J., McGee, G., Odom, S., & Wolery, M. (2005). The use of single-subject research to identify evidence-based practice in special education. Exceptional Children, 71(2), 165–179.
Howes, C. (1987). Social competence with peers in young children: developmental sequences. Developmental Review, 7(3), 252–272.
Hundert, J., & van Delft, S. (2009). Teaching children with autism spectrum disorders to answer inferential “why” questions. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 24(2), 67–76.
Hundert, J., Rowe, S., & Harrison, E. (2014). The combined effects of social script training and peer buddies on generalized peer interaction of children with ASD in inclusive classrooms. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 29(4), 206–215.
Hyter, Y. D. (2007). Pragmatic language assessment: a pragmatics-as-social practice model. Topics in Language Disorders, 27(2), 128–145.
Ingersoll, B., & Schreibman, L. (2006). Teaching reciprocal imitation skills to young children with autism using a naturalistic behavioral approach: effects on language, pretend play, and joint attention. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(4), 487–505.
Jackson, J. N., & Campbell, J. M. (2009). Teachers’ peer buddy selections for children with autism: social characteristics and relationship with peer nominations. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39(2), 269–277.
Jamison, K. R., Forston, L. D., & Stanton-Chapman, T. L. (2012). Encouraging social skill development through play in early childhood special education classrooms. Young Exceptional Children, 15(2), 3–19.
Kasari, C., Chang, Y. C., & Patterson, S. (2013). Pretending to play or playing to pretend: the case of autism. American Journal of Play, 6(1), 124.
Kasari, C., Kaiser, A., Goods, K., Nietfeld, J., Mathy, P., Landa, R., et al. (2014). Communication interventions for minimally verbal children with autism: a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 53(6), 635–646.
Kassardjian, A., Rudrud, E., Taubman, M., Leaf, J. B., Edwards, A., Schulze, K., et al. (2013). Utilizing teaching interactions to facilitate social skills in the natural environment. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 48(2), 245–257.
Katz, E., & Girolametto, L. (2013). Peer-mediated intervention for preschoolers with ASD implemented in early childhood education settings. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 33(3), 133–143.
Killen, M., & Turiel, E. (1991). Conflict resolution in preschool social interactions. Early Education and Development, 2(3), 240–255.
Koegel, L. K., Vernon, T. W., Koegel, R. L., Koegel, B. L., & Paullin, A. W. (2012). Improving social engagement and initiations between children with autism spectrum disorder and their peers in inclusive settings. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 14(4), 220–227.
Koegel, L. K., Koegel, R. L., Ashbaugh, K., & Bradshaw, J. (2014). The importance of early identification and intervention for children with or at risk for autism spectrum disorders. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 16(1), 50–56.
Kowalski, K., Pretti-Frontczak, K., & Johnson, L. (2001). Preschool teachers’ beliefs concerning the importance of various developmental skills and abilities. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 16(1), 5–14.
Krantz, P. J., MacDuff, G. S., Wadstrom, O., & McClannahan, L. E. (1991). Using video with developmentally disabled learners. In P.W. Dowrick (ed.). Practical guide to using video in the behavioral sciences (pp. 256–266). New York: John Wiley
Kratochwill, T. R., Hitchcock, J. H., Horner, R. H., Levin, J. R., Odom, S. L., Rindskopf, D. M., & Shadish, W. R. (2010). Single case designs technical documentation. In What Works Clearinghouse: Procedures and standards handbook (version 2.0). Retrieved from What Works Clearinghouse. website: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/wwc_procedures_v2_standards_handbook.pdf.
Lam, K. S., Bodfish, J. W., & Piven, J. (2008). Evidence for three subtypes of repetitive behavior in autism that differ in familiality and association with other symptoms. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49(11), 1193–1200.
Laushey, K. M., & Heflin, L. J. (2000). Enhancing social skills of kindergarten children with autism through the training of multiple peers as tutors. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30(3), 183–193.
Laushey, K. M., Heflin, L. J., Shippen, M., Alberto, P. A., & Fredrick, L. (2009). Concept mastery routines to teach social skills to elementary children with high functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39(10), 1435–1448.
Leaf, J. B., Taubman, M., Bloomfield, S., Palos-Rafuse, L., Leaf, R., McEachin, J., & Oppenheim, M. L. (2009). Increasing social skills and pro-social behavior for three children diagnosed with autism through the use of a teaching package. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 3(1), 275–289.
Leekam, S. R., Prior, M. R., & Uljarevic, M. (2011). Restricted and repetitive behaviors in autism spectrum disorders: a review of research in the last decade. Psychological Bulletin, 137(4), 562.
Liber, D. B., Frea, W. D., & Symon, J. B. (2008). Using time-delay to improve social play skills with peers for children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(2), 312–323.
Lifter, K., Mason, E. J., & Barton, E. E. (2011). Children’s play: where we have been and where we could go. Journal of Early Intervention, 33(4), 281–297.
Lillard, A. S., Lerner, M. D., Hopkins, E. J., Dore, R. A., Smith, E. D., & Palmquist, C. M. (2013). The impact of pretend play on children's development: a review of the evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 139(1), 1.
Lin, H. L., Lawrence, F. R., & Gorrell, J. (2003). Kindergarten teachers’ views of children’s readiness for school. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 18(2), 225–237.
Loeb, S., Bridges, M., Bassok, D., Fuller, B., & Rumberger, R. W. (2007). How much is too much? The influence of preschool centers on children’s social and cognitive development. Economics of Education Review, 26(1), 52–66.
Longoria, A. Q., Page, M. C., Hubbs-Tait, L., & Kennison, S. M. (2009). Relationship between kindergarten children’s language ability and social competence. Early Child Development and Care, 179(7), 919–929.
Lorimer, P. A., Simpson, R. L., Smith Myles, B., & Ganz, J. B. (2002). The use of social stories as a preventative behavioral intervention in a home setting with a child with autism. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 4(1), 53–60.
Magiati, I., Tay, X. W., & Howlin, P. (2014). Cognitive, language, social and behavioural outcomes in adults with autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review of longitudinal follow-up studies in adulthood. Clinical Psychology Review, 34(1), 73–86.
Maione, L., & Mirenda, P. (2006). Effects of video modeling and video feedback on peer-directed social language skills of a child with autism. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 8(2), 106–118.
Marzullo-Kerth, D., Reeve, S. A., Reeve, K. F., & Townsend, D. B. (2011). Using multiple-exemplar training to teach a generalized repertoire of sharing to children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 44(2), 279–294.
Mashburn, A. J., Pianta, R. C., Hamre, B. K., Downer, J. T., Barbarin, O. A., Bryant, D., et al. (2008). Measures of classroom quality in prekindergarten and children’s development of academic, language, and social skills. Child Development, 79(3), 732–749.
McClelland, M. M., Morrison, F. J., & Holmes, D. L. (2000). Children at risk for early academic problems: The role of learning-related social skills. Early Child Research Quarterly, 15(3), 307–329.
Montroy, J. J., Bowles, R. P., Skibbe, L. E., & Foster, T. D. (2014). Social skills and problem behaviors as mediators of the relationship between behavioral self-regulation and academic achievement. Early Child Research Quarterly, 29(3), 298–309.
Morrison, L., Kamps, D., Garcia, J., & Parker, D. (2001). Peer mediation and monitoring strategies to improve initiations and social skills for students with autism. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 3(4), 237–250.
Nærland, T., & Martinsen, H. (2011). Child–child interactions and positive social focus among preschool children. Early Child Development and Care, 181(3), 361–370.
Neely, M. N., Walter, E., Black, J. M., & Reiss, A. L. (2012). Neural correlates of humor detection and appreciation in children. The Journal of Neuroscience, 32(5), 1784–1790.
Nix, R. L., Bierman, K. L., Domitrovich, C. E., & Gill, S. (2013). Promoting children’s social-emotional skills in preschool can enhance academic and behavioral functioning in kindergarten: findings from Head Start REDI. Early Education & Development, 24(7), 1000–1019.
Odom, S. L., Brown, W. H., Frey, T., Karasu, N., Smith-Canter, L. L., & Strain, P. S. (2003). Evidence-based practices for young children with autism contributions for single-subject design research. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 18(3), 166–175.
Paden, A. R., Kodak, T., Fisher, W. W., Gawley-Bullington, E. M., & Bouxsein, K. J. (2012). Teaching children with autism to engage in peer-directed mands using a picture exchange communication system. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 45(2), 425–429.
Parker, R. I., Vannest, K. J., & Davis, J. L. (2011). Effect size in single-case research: a review of nine nonoverlap techniques. Behavior Modification, 35(4), 303–322.
Powell, D., Dunlap, G., & Fox, L. (2006). Prevention and intervention for the challenging behaviors of toddlers and preschoolers. Infants & Young Children, 19(1), 25–35.
Rakap, S., Rakap, S., Evran, D., & Cig, O. (2016). Comparative evaluation of the reliability and validity of three data extraction programs: UnGraph, GraphClick, and DigitizeIt. Computers in Human Behavior, 55, 159–166.
Raulston, T., Carnett, A., Lang, R., Tostanoski, A., Lee, A., Machalicek, W., et al. (2013). Teaching individuals with autism spectrum disorder to ask questions: a systematic review. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 7(7), 866–878.
Raver, C. C., & Zigler, E. F. (1997). Social competence: an untapped dimension in evaluating Head Start’s success. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 12(4), 363–385.
Reichow, B., & Volkmar, F. R. (2010). Social skills interventions for individuals with autism: evaluation for evidence-based practices within a best evidence synthesis framework. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40(2), 149–166.
Reichow, B., Volkmar, F. R., & Cicchetti, D. V. (2008). Development of the evaluative method for evaluating and determining evidence-based practices in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(7), 1311–1319.
Reid, M. J., Webster-Stratton, C., & Baydar, N. (2004). Halting the Development of Conduct Problems in Head Start Children: The Effects of Parent Training. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 33(2), 279–291.
Sansosti, F. J., & Powell-Smith, K. A. (2008). Using computer-presented social stories and video models to increase the social communication skills of children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 10(3), 162–178.
Scattone, D. (2008). Enhancing the conversation skills of a boy with asperger’s disorder through social stories and video modeling. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(2), 395–400.
Schaefer, D. R., Light, J. M., Fabes, R. A., Hanish, L. D., & Martin, C. L. (2010). Fundamental principles of network formation among preschool children. Social Networks, 32(1), 61–71.
Schrandt, J. A., Townsend, D. B., & Poulson, C. L. (2009). Teaching empathy skills to children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 42(1), 17–32. doi:10.1901/jaba.2009.42-17.
Shadish, W. R., Brasil, I. C., Illingworth, D. A., White, K. D., Galindo, R., Nagler, E. D., & Rindskopf, D. M. (2009). Using UnGraph to extract data from image files: Verification of reliability and validity. Behavior Research Methods, 41(1), 177–183.
Skinner, B. F. (1957). Verbal behavior. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.
Spritz, B. L., Sandberg, E. H., Maher, E., & Zajdel, R. T. (2010). Models of emotion skills and social competence in the Head Start classroom. Early Education and Development, 21(4), 495–516.
Sundberg, M. L. (2008). VB-MAPP Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program: a language and social skills assessment program for children with autism or other developmental disabilities: guide. Concord: Mark Sundberg.
Sundberg, M. L., & Partington, J. W. (1982). Skinner’s verbal behavior: a reference list. VB News, 1, 9–13.
Taylor, B. A., Hoch, H., Potter, B., Rodriguez, A., Spinnato, D., & Kalaigian, M. (2005). Manipulating establishing operations to promote initiations toward peers in children with autism. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 26(4), 385–392.
Tetreault, A. S., & Lerman, D. C. (2010). Teaching social skills to children with autism using point-of-view video modeling. Education and Treatment of Children, 33(3), 395–419.
U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, What WorksClearinghouse. (2013, March). What Works Clearinghouse: Procedures and Standards Handbook (Version 3.0). Retrieved fromhttp://whatworks.ed.gov
Uljarevic, M., & Hamilton, A. (2013). Recognition of emotions in autism: a formal meta-analysis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(7), 1517–1526.
Walker, O. L., & Henderson, H. A. (2012). Temperament and social problem solving competence in preschool: influences on academic skills in early elementary school. Social Development, 21(4), 761–779.
Wang, S. Y., Cui, Y., & Parrila, R. (2011). Examining the effectiveness of peer-mediated and video-modeling social skills interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders: a meta-analysis in single-case research using HLM. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5(1), 562–569.
Warreyn, P., Paelt, S., & Roeyers, H. (2014). Social-communicative abilities as treatment goals for preschool children with autism spectrum disorder: the importance of imitation, joint attention, and play. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 56(8), 712–716.
Weiss, E. M., Gschaidbauer, B. C., Samson, A. C., Steinbäcker, K., Fink, A., & Papousek, I. (2013). From Ice Age to Madagascar: appreciation of slapstick humor in children with Asperger’s syndrome. Humor, 26(3), 423–440.
Whalon, K. J., Conroy, M. A., Martinez, J. R., & Werch, B. L. (2015). School-based peer-related social competence interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder: a meta-analysis and descriptive review of single case research design studies. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(6), 1513–1531.
White, S. W., Koenig, K., & Scahill, L. (2010). Group social skills instruction for adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 25(4), 209–219.
White, P. J., O’Reilly, M., Streusand, W., Levine, A., Sigafoos, J., Lancioni, G., et al. (2011). Best practices for teaching joint attention: A systematic review of the intervention literature. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5(4), 1283–1295.
Wright, C., Diener, M. L., & Kemp, J. L. (2013). Storytelling dramas as a community building activity in an early childhood classroom. Early Childhood Education Journal, 41(3), 197–210.
Yont, K. M., Hewitt, L. E., & Miccio, A. W. (2000). A coding system for describing conversational breakdowns in preschool children. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 9(4), 300–309.
Zhou, Q., Valiente, C., & Eisenberg, N. (2003). Empathy and its measurement. In S. J. Lopez (Ed.), Positive psychological assessment: A handbook of models and measures (pp. 269–284). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
This article does not contain any studies with humans or animals performed by any of the authors.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hansen, S.G., Frantz, R.J., Machalicek, W. et al. Advanced Social Communication Skills for Young Children with Autism: a Systematic Review of Single-Case Intervention Studies. Rev J Autism Dev Disord 4, 225–242 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-017-0110-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-017-0110-8