Date of Submission

2015

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

Department Chair

Robert A DiTomasso, PhD, ABPP, Chair, Department of Psychology

First Advisor

Virginia Burks Salzer, PhD, Chair

Second Advisor

Barbara B Williams, PhD, NCSP

Third Advisor

Sarah Allen, PhD, CBIS

Abstract

This study seeks to explore the outcomes of participation in a LEGO® group on social skills in kindergarten students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis. Specifically, the researcher hypothesized that the students who participated in the LEGO® group would demonstrate greater increases in peer socialization, adult socialization, and social/emotional reciprocity, as measured by the Autism Spectrum Rating Scales (ASRS). Participants consisted of six students with an ASD diagnosis who were in kindergarten in a public school district in suburban New Jersey. A single case study with multiple participants design was employed to investigate patterns of performance among students in the treatment and control conditions. ASRS T scores were reported for participants at pre, peri-, and post- intervention. Additionally, dependent samples t tests were used to changes in behavior pre- and post- intervention implementation. Gender differences were also considered. Although the participants in the LEGO® group as a whole failed to make greater social skill gains than the participants in the control condition, they did make individual improvements in social skills as defined by the ASRS, so the LEGO® group should continue to be considered when selecting an intervention for children with an ASD diagnosis in school. Therefore, the implications of these findings extend past the scope of this article to the educational setting itself. Given the fact that positive changes were reported in those who participated in the LEGO® group could indicate, potentially, that this may be a useful school-based intervention for students with social skill deficits.

Download

Share

COinS