(Download) "Effects of a Clinic-Based Conversation Skills Group Training Program on Children with High Functioning Autism/Asperger Syndrome" by Allison Dawn Breit Smith # Book PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Effects of a Clinic-Based Conversation Skills Group Training Program on Children with High Functioning Autism/Asperger Syndrome
- Author : Allison Dawn Breit Smith
- Release Date : January 21, 2013
- Genre: Medical,Books,Professional & Technical,Science & Nature,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 14808 KB
Description
One of the most powerful human abilities is the use of language in conversation as a means of relating to other humans. Children diagnosed with High Functioning Autism/Asperger Syndrome (HFA/AS), however, often have difficulty conversing. As a result, speech-language pathologists have developed and implemented clinic-based social skills group training programs to improve the conversation skills of children with HFA/AS. Although clinicians intuitively perceive the benefits of social skills group training programs, there is inconclusive evidence to support clinical practice. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the effects of teaching conversation skills, namely appropriate initiations and responses, to children diagnosed with HFA/AS in an outpatient clinic-based group setting. Seven boys between the ages of 8 and 10 years old participated in this study. The boys attended a 6 week conversation skills group intervention program that met one time per week for 90 minutes. This study utilized an observational design. Prior to, immediately after and 6 weeks following the intervention, data regarding the children’s initiations, responses, appropriateness and partner (peer/adult) during conversation was collected in-clinic, as well as at participants’ schools. Descriptive measures for this study included frequency counts, ratios, means and difference scores. Results from this study suggest an increase in the frequency of responses used in-clinic, as well as an increase in participants’ use of initiations at school at post observation. Little to no maintenance of the increase in initiations, noted at post observation, was observed at the 6 week follow-up observation. No major trends, only slight increases and decreases, were noted both in-clinic and at school regarding appropriateness and to whom participants directed their initiations and responses to (peer/adult) during conversation.