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A Two Experiment Treatment Comparison Study: Teaching Social Skills to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

The present study is a series of two experiments of treatment comparisons addressing the acquisition of social skills for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In Experiment 1, a multi-element design was used to assess the efficacy of video modeling as compared with Social Stories™ to teach various social skills to the children with ASD. Results from video modeling yielded positive and quick acquisition, consistent with previous literature. However, treatment with Social Stories did not. Upon close inspection of the Social Stories literature, it became apparent that most effective social stories interventions were treatment packages, which include well-tested behavioral procedures such as prompting. Therefore, Experiment 2 was designed to compare Social Stories with the components most often used in social stories treatment packages, such as prompting, parceled out, to assess variables functional for behavior change. A multiple baseline design across children was used. Results of Exp. 2 suggested that prompting was effective for the children in the present study. Results of both experiments are discussed in terms of relating these results to previous literature, and ultimately to recommending treatment for social skills for children with ASD.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, California State University, Northridge. The authors would like to thank Amanda Finch, James Vogel, Rachel Travolta, Gina Chang, Kari Berquist, Sabrina Daneshvar, Alissa Greenberg, Denise Grosberg, Julyana Garcia, the research assistants at the CSUN Autism Clinic, and the children and families who participated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA, 91330-8255, USA

    Debra Berry Malmberg

  2. Department of Psychology, Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA

    Marjorie H. Charlop

  3. Department of Psychology, Scripps College, Claremont, CA, 91711, USA

    Sara J. Gershfeld

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  1. Debra Berry Malmberg
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  2. Marjorie H. Charlop
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  3. Sara J. Gershfeld
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Correspondence to Debra Berry Malmberg.

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Malmberg, D.B., Charlop, M.H. & Gershfeld, S.J. A Two Experiment Treatment Comparison Study: Teaching Social Skills to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Dev Phys Disabil 27, 375–392 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-015-9420-x

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