Measuring Changes in Social Skills Throughout an Intervention Program for Children with ASD, Contributions from Polar Coordinate Analysis
Por:
Alcover C, Mairena MA, Rodríguez-Medina J, Mezzatesta M, Balañá G, Elias N, Elias-Abadias M and Arias-Pujol E
Publicada:
1 jun 2023
Ahead of Print:
1 mar 2022
Categoría:
Developmental and educational psychology
Resumen:
The demand of social skills interventions for people with ASD has grown in recent years. The main goal of this research was to study social skills: "responding to interaction" and "initiating interaction", and to capture whether there were differences between an initial and a final session in a program for children with ASD. Additionally, we aimed to compare social skills patterns according to the VIQ level. The sample (N = 20) was divided into 2 subgroups depending on whether the VIQ was > 90 or < 90. We employed a mixed methods approach based on a systematic observation of social behaviors. The observational design was nomothetic, follow-up, and multidimensional. Once we confirmed inter-observer reliability for the ad hoc observational instrument we performed descriptive statistics and polar coordinate analysis using LINCE software. The results show high intragroup and intergroup variability. In general, participants with VIQ < 90 showed a better improvement in responding to interaction, whereas participants with VIQ > 90 showed more complex patterns to initiate interactions. The polar coordinate technique was useful for detecting significant relationships between autism's social micro-behaviors. Results and information obtained through observational methodology could allow professionals to understand communication and interaction of participants.
Filiaciones:
Alcover C:
FPCEE Blanquerna, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain.
Mairena MA:
Mental Health Department, Multidisciplinary Unit of Autism Spectrum Disorder (UnimTEA), Sant Joan de Deu Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
Rodríguez-Medina J:
Department of Methods of Research and Diagnosis in Education I, Faculty of Education, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
Mezzatesta M:
Mental Health Department, Multidisciplinary Unit of Autism Spectrum Disorder (UnimTEA), Sant Joan de Deu Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
Balañá G:
Mental Health Department, Multidisciplinary Unit of Autism Spectrum Disorder (UnimTEA), Sant Joan de Deu Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
Elias N:
Mental Health Department, Multidisciplinary Unit of Autism Spectrum Disorder (UnimTEA), Sant Joan de Deu Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
Elias-Abadias M:
Mental Health Department, Multidisciplinary Unit of Autism Spectrum Disorder (UnimTEA), Sant Joan de Deu Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
Arias-Pujol E:
FPCEE Blanquerna, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain
Green Submitted, hybrid
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