The Importance of Effectively Teaching Social Skills to (PDF)

Dominican Scholar Dominican Scholar Graduate Master's Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects Student Scholarship 5-2014 The Importance of Effectively Teaching Social Skills to Students The Importance of Effectively Teaching Social Skills to Students with High-Functioning Autism with High-Functioning Autism Michaela Elizabeth Mirsky Dominican University of California https://doi.org/10.33015/dominican.edu/2014.edu.10 Survey: Let us know how this paper benefits you. Recommended Citation Mirsky, Michaela Elizabeth, "The Importance of Effectively Teaching Social Skills to Students with High-Functioning Autism" (2014). Graduate Master's Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects. 45. https://doi.org/10.33015/dominican.edu/2014.edu.10 This Master's Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at Dominican Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Master's Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects by an authorized administrator of Dominican Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]  Social Skills & ASD 1 Title Page The Importance of Effectively Teaching Social Skills to Students with High-Functioning Autism Michaela E. Mirsky Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in Special Education School of Education and Counseling Psychology Dominican University of California San Rafael, CA May 2014  Social Skills & ASD 2 Signature Sheet This thesis, written under the direction of the candidate’s thesis advisor and approved by the Chair of the Master’s program, has been presented to and accepted by the Faculty of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Special Education. The content and research methodologies presented in this work represent the work of the candidate alone. Michaela E. Mirsky Candidate May 2014 Madalienne F. Peters, Ed.D. Thesis Advisor May 2014 Elizabeth Truesdell, PhD. Program Chair May 2014  Social Skills & ASD 3 Copyright 2014 by Michaela E. Mirsky All rights reserved  Social Skills & ASD 4 Acknowledgments I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank my wonderful supporters for assisting me through this final phase of my education. Dominican University of California has provided me with the opportunity to meet, work with, and learn from phenomenal professors whom I consider to be my mentors and role models. Their expertise, knowledge, and care for my overall success have truly been life changing and I am forever grateful for this opportunity to expand my growth as a professional. In particular, my professors Sharon and Billye have been very instrumental in allowing me to reach this final stage of development. Their encouragement and desire to help me succeed has truly been a blessing. I would also like to thank Madalienne for guiding me through the thesis process and for providing a supportive environment in which I could accomplish my thesis goals. In addition to my professors, I have also had the opportunity to meet some wonderful colleagues and learn from their stories, experiences, and abundance of knowledge. I was able to collaborate with a variety of professionals and compare and contrast my own experiences with theirs to become a more established educator. Lastly, I would like to thank my amazing family and friends for their tremendous support and love. In particular my mom and Nick have been there every step of the way. Without them I would not have been able to make it this far. My parents and good friends have supported me through the thick and thin and I am forever grateful for all they have done for me.  Social Skills & ASD 5 Table of Contents Title Page ........................................................................................................................... 1 Signature Sheet.................................................................................................................. 2 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................. 4 Abstract.............................................................................................................................. 6 Chapter 1 Introduction .................................................................................................... 7 Statement of Problem.................................................................................................................8 Purpose Statement......................................................................................................................8 Research Question......................................................................................................................8 Theoretical Rationale.................................................................................................................9 Assumptions..............................................................................................................................11 Background and Need..............................................................................................................11 Summary ...................................................................................................................................13 Chapter 2 Review of the Literature .............................................................................. 15 Introduction ..............................................................................................................................15 Historical Context.....................................................................................................................15 Review of Academic Research.................................................................................................20 Effects of Social Deficits .......................................................................................................20 Effectiveness and Need for Social Skill Interventions ..........................................................27 Factors for Successful Implementation..................................................................................29 Summary ...................................................................................................................................35 Research Approach ..................................................................................................................37 Ethical Standards .....................................................................................................................37 Sample and Site ........................................................................................................................37 Access and Permissions............................................................................................................38 Data Gathering Strategies .......................................................................................................38 Data Analysis Approach ..........................................................................................................39 Chapter 4 Findings ......................................................................................................... 40 Description of Site and Individuals.........................................................................................40 Data............................................................................................................................................44 Themes.......................................................................................................................................54 Chapter 5 Discussion /Analysis...................................................................................... 57 Summary of Major Findings...................................................................................................57 Comparison of Findings to the Literature .............................................................................57 Limitations/Gaps in the Research...........................................................................................61 Implications for Future Research...........................................................................................62 Overall Significance of the Study............................................................................................63 About the Author......................................................................................................................64 References........................................................................................................................ 65  Social Skills & ASD 6 Abstract Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Due to this dramatic increase, the amount of children with high-functioning autism that have entered public schools across the United States has skyrocketed. Often times these children might have average IQs, but they often exhibit deficits in various social skills that can cause them to have difficulties in a variety of other areas. Research supports and emphasizes the importance of effectively teaching social skills to children with high-functioning autism. Because social functioning is a critical part of today’s society, children with high-functioning autism must meet developmental social milestones in order to be a successful and contributing member of society. The researcher of this study examined social skills interventions and characteristics that made them effective. The researcher examined literature on this topic and gathered information from educational professionals who have had experience teaching social skills to children with high-functioning autism. Findings indicate a significant need for effective and structured interventions that target these unique social needs of these children.  Social Skills & ASD 7 Chapter 1 Introduction After I graduated from college, I began teaching at a non-public school for moderate to severe children with autism. Prior to the beginning of the year, I assumed that my classroom would be filled with students that needed assistance with eating, toileting, and other basic life skills. Little did I know that my classroom would actually consist of twelve students, all of whom had high-functioning autism. Even though my students could feed themselves and do long division, they were classified as moderate to severe because they had such significant deficits in social skills and behavior. My twelve students, all of who previously resided in a public school setting, could not appropriately interact with one another, could not take turns, and could not take someone else’s perspective among other deficits. Due to the lack of adequate skills in these areas, each one of my students had to be removed from the public school setting and had to be placed in an alternative educational setting. My students did not receive the necessary social skill interventions during a critical time of development and growth. They missed out on crucial social skill development and suffered academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally in their previous educational settings. It was then that I realized how vital it is to effectively teach social skills to children with high-functioning autism.  Social Skills & ASD 8 Statement of Problem With such an abundance of children with high-functioning autism in the schools these days, their substantial social deficits more often then not set them apart from the rest of the class. These social deficits are not properly being addressed and are causing these children to miss out on their learning, lack peer relationships, exhibit inappropriate behavior, and have long-term emotional issues. Purpose Statement The purpose of this study is to determine the importance of efficient social skills interventions for children with high-functioning autism. Research conducted in this study will attempt to understand what impact social skills deficits can have on a child’s overall development. The research will also attempt to see if these interventions can be successful in improving these deficits for these children. Lastly, the research will seek to determine what factors, if any, make the interventions effective. Research Question What is the value of effectively teaching social skills to children with high- functioning autism?  Social Skills & ASD 9 Theoretical Rationale For decades, children with special needs were not granted the same access to education as non-disabled children. Up until the Civil Rights Movement in 1975, a disabled child was almost always institutionalized or kept home from school because the school systems could not provide the support that these children required. According to The History of Special Education (2014), “Their options: remain at home or be institutionalized. Even those with mild or moderate disabilities who did enroll were likely to drop out well before graduating from high school” (Pardini, 2014). The number of students with special needs, who could not access education, was tremendous. Children with disabilities never had the chance at a typical childhood because they could not go to school to learn, develop, or grow (Pardini, 2014). Luckily, called Public Law 94-142, set forth a new opportunity for students with special needs, regardless of the severity of their disability, to access free education. “Public Law 94-142 proved to be landmark legislation, requiring public schools to provide students with a broad range of disabilities - including physical handicaps, mental retardation, speech, vision and language problems, emotional and behavioral problems, and other learning disorders - with a free appropriate public education” (Pardini, 2014). This was monumental and for the first time allowed students with disabilities the opportunity to have an equivalent education to children without disabilities. In 1997, Public Law 94-142 was revamped and renamed. It was changed to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA’s main purpose was to better  Social Skills & ASD 10 serve children with disabilities in schools and provide services for these children to meet their diverse learning needs. The law now called for students with special needs to be served in specific environments that best suited the learners’ educational, vocational and emotional needs. IDEA was monumental in allowing children with all types of disabilities the opportunity to grow, develop and learn to the best of their abilities. “Thanks to IDEA, these students were not only in school, but also, at least in the best case scenarios, assigned to small classes where specially trained teachers tailored their lessons to each student's individual needs. Schools also were required to provide any additional services - such as interpreters for the deaf or computer-assisted technology for the physically impaired - that students needed in order to reach their full potential” (Pardini, 2014). Students with special needs were now given more opportunities to succeed and progress developmentally. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Autism Spectrum Disorders, a group of complex brain development disorders, affects one in sixty-eight children in the United States. This disability has become more prevalent in the past decade then any other disability (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) can be associated with difficulties in social interaction, communication, motor coordination, intellectual deficits and physical health issues. Since ASD is a spectrum, a child with this diagnosis may be considered high- functioning or low-functioning depending on severity of their symptoms. Studies show  Social Skills & ASD 11 that interventions in all areas of need are critical for these children and their overall development. The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness and need for social skills interventions for children with high-functioning autism. Assumptions The assumptions include the following: social skills deficits in children with high- functioning autism impact the child’s overall development. Students with autism who receive social skill interventions are more likely to succeed in the real world than those who do not. More effective social skills interventions are needed to address the growing number of children with high-functioning autism. Background and Need American psychiatrist and pediatrician, Leo Kanner, was the first to observe and identify a new developmental disorder in children. Kanner began studying eleven children under the age of eleven in 1938. Each one of his subjects had similar behavioral characteristics that he could not understand or diagnose. Their desire and need for aloofness and sameness from others and from the world in general baffled Kanner (Kanner, 1943). “All of the children’s activities an utterances are governed rigidly and consistently by the powerful desire for aloofness and sameness. Their world must seem to them to be made up of elements that, once they have been experienced in a certain setting or sequence, cannot be tolerated in any other setting or sequence; nor can the setting or sequence be  Social Skills & ASD 12 tolerated without all the original ingredients in the identical special or chronologic order” (p. 249). After many thorough observations and research, Kanner classified this new unrecognizable disorder as Infantile Autism (Kanner, 1943). Kanner’s early classification of the disorder and its symptoms would later be expanded upon by hundreds of doctors and psychiatrists around the world. In 1987, Ivar Lovaas conducted one of the first successful interventions for children with autism. Lovaas used a specific type of behavior intervention therapy, now called Applied Behavior Analysis, on nineteen autistic children. Each subject exhibited deficits in a variety of areas including social skills, behavior, coordination and others. “…All subjects evidenced deficiencies across a wide range of behaviors, and during treatment they showed a broad improvement across all observed behaviors” (Lovaas & UCLA, 1987, p. 8). The study took three years and each year focused on targeting different areas of need. During the first year, treatment goals consisted of reducing self-stimulatory and aggressive behaviors, building compliance to elementary verbal requests, teaching imitation, establishing the beginnings of appropriate toy play, and promoting the extension of the treatment into the family. The second year of treatment emphasized teaching expressive and early abstract language and interactive play with peers. Treatment was also extended into the community to teach children to function within a preschool group. The third year emphasized the teaching of  Social Skills & ASD 13 appropriate and varied expression of emotions; pre-academic tasks like reading, writing, and arithmetic; and observational learning (Lovaas & UCLA, 1987, p. 5). At the end of the three-year intervention, researchers anticipated seeing improvements in the participant’s deficits. The hope was that the intensive intervention would improve some of the significant deficits in the subjects, so that they would be at the same level as their typically developing peers. “We hypothesized that construction of a special, intense, and comprehensive learning environment for very young autistic children would allow some of them to catch up with their normal peers by first grade” (Lovaas & UCLA, 1987, p. 4). Just as Lovaas and his researchers had hoped, the participants made significant gains in many areas of need. In fact, 49% of them reached “normal” educational and intellectual functioning. In addition to success in academics, some participants also were considered to be “indistinguishable from their peers.” Thus, indicating significant improvements in social behavior. Results from this study demonstrated how effective interventions could be for children with autism. Summary Autism Spectrum Disorder has remained a high topic of interest for doctors and psychologists over the course of the past few decades. Since Kanner’s classification in 1943, the disorder has become more prevalent and the need for a cure is evident. Since this developmental disorder cannot yet be prevented, cured, or thoroughly understood,  Social Skills & ASD 14 researchers are constantly attempting to create interventions that are successful in helping these children in any way they can.