Teaching social plays for the emergence of social skills in a child with autism

Chidren with TEA present, as one of the main characteristics, difficulties in learning social repertoire, especially with children at the same age and with games that involvechange turn, called social plays (Stahmer & Schreibman, 1992). Teaching them to appropriately react to others is an essential step in developing skills to establish andmaintain relationships (Thompson, 2008). The objective of this poster is to present a behavioral intervention for social deficits with a four years old boy (A), diagnosed asa mild ASD, with socialization difficulties. The focus of behavioral intervention was on Social Play programs that could establish generalized interaction with otherchildren. Brazilian popular folk games were chosen as activities through which rules of the games/ social repertoires, were taught.

Adsson Magalhães (*), Luiza Hübner (**), Martha Hübner (*). (*)University of São Paulo, (**) Behavior Analysis Hübner Center

ProcedureFour typical brazilian social games were applied, two at a time: Guess Who?,Domino With Carachters, Classic Domino and Memory Game. Along 40structured sessions, with two therapists on different days, the appropriatebehaviors during the games and the rules were shaped. The first game used wasDomino with characters, because was more close of a MTS task, a skill that thechild already had. As he reached the independent criteria and fluency level, wechanged to Classic Domino with black dots. By shaping the rules were taught.Guess Who? Was taught firstly with only one board with the boy looking thetherapist playing and helping him to play. A fading out procedure of therapist’shelp was used until A. learn the rules of the game, like asking questions andwhich figures eliminate of the board. As he reached the independent criteria, thesecond board was added and the child could play with the therapistindependently. The memory game was taught by imitation. The children had toimitate the therapist’s actions to find the equal cards. He was socially reinforcedeach trial, even were not correct cards. As he got equal cards, he earned a token.We started with 6 cards (3 pairs) that increased periodically up to 20 cards (10pairs).After he learned all the games, the criteria to have a higher magnitudereinforcer was win the game. No matter who won, both (therapist and child) werereinforced, but just the one who won the play got another reinforcer, usuallydifferente of tokens, with a higher magnitude.Once he got independent responses and learned the rules of all games, he wereexposed to social interaction with peers and parents, generalizing the newrepertoire he achieved.

METHODParticipantA four year boy (A), diagnosed as being at the Autism Spectrum Disorder, was initiallyevaluated through Verbal Behavior Mapp , which indicated a verbal repertoire at levelII of Verbal Behavior MAPP and a proficient reading and writing repertoires (level IIIof Verbal Behavior MAPP). In terms of performances on social games , none correctresponses were presented in baseline (except Domino with characters. See Figures 1, 2and 3.)

DISCUSSIONSocial games are an activity that can help to start interactions and friendship. Childrenwho develop friendship can have their their social companions as critical referencespoint for determining their behavior (Gutstein & Sheely (2002, p. 17), citing C. Lewiswhen he considered that friendship is unnecessary , like philosophy, like art; that hadno survival value; rather, those are things that give value to survival. To A. the gamesprobably became natural reinforcers, allowing him to initiate interactions with peers atschool and at larger social networks.

REFERENCESGutstein , S. E.; Sheely, K. R (2002). Relationship develoment intervention with young children.Thompson, T. ( 2008). Dr. Thompson’s straight talk on autism.Baltimore: Brooks

J Appl Behav Anal. 1992 Summer; 25(2): 447–459. Teaching children with autism appropriate play in unsupervised environments using a self-management treatment package.Stahmer & Schreibman, 1992

RESULTSThe procedure increased the frequency of hits, indicating understanding of the gameand its rules. As shaping the criteria of playing with therapists developed, the childgeneralized to play the learned games with parents and friends.

Figure 1. Evolution of learning on “Guess Who? Game”. At the baseline (BL) evaluation we had zero because the child didn´t know the game. On second session we´re started total help (TH), then immediate echoic help after two seconds (IEH 2sec) and finally he reached the independent criteria. On session 13 he started to use two boards without help.

Figure 2. Graphic showing the evolution of learning the Memory Game. At the baseline (BL) the evaluation was also zero because the child didn´t know the game. We´re started with physical help (PH) and after four sessions he reached the independent criteria using 7 pairs of cards. On 17th session we inserted more two pairs of cards, and since the 31st session he has be using the full game with 20 cards.

Figure 3: The graphic shows the evolution of learning of two different kinds of Domino. One with characters of Monsters S.A. movie and the classic domino with numbers. At the baseline (BL) of the first one he had some independent responses because it was a task similar to MTS. When we started to use the classic was necessary give him physical help (PH) for eight sessions and proceed with a fading in of the number of pieces .