Award Date

1-1-2001

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Special Education

First Committee Member

Susan P. Miller

Number of Pages

132

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the efficacy of using the SCORE Skills Strategy to teach high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorder five social skills that are needed to work in cooperative groups. Ten male subjects ranging in age from 12 to 17, participated in a 10-week evening program. The subjects were in grades 6 through 11, and spent 17% to 100% of their school day in general education classes. The effects of the intervention were evaluated using a multiple-baseline across-skills and a multiple probe design. Data were collected to answer seven research questions related to subjects' abilities to learn and use the SCORE Skills, subjects' perceptions about group work, subjects' perceptions about the SCORE Skills Strategy, parents' perceptions about their adolescents' social competence, and parents' perceptions of the SCORE Skills Strategy. The results indicate that all of the subjects made significant gains in the performance of the five social skills after training. The multiple probe design results provide evidence that the subjects' changes in performance occurred only after training had been completed on each skill and that they were able to generalize the use of the skills across novel situations. The subjects' satisfaction with the social skills group was very positive. A successful social skills training program should result in the subjects becoming more skilled and their improved skills being noticeable to others. The parents were generally satisfied that the SCORE Skills program benefited their adolescent, although their ratings on social competence were not statistically significant. The subjects demonstrated significant gains in the performance of the social skills within the class environment, but the generalization factor of skill mastery was not noticeable to their parents. The results of this research indicate that the SCORE Skills Strategy is a viable social skill curriculum to use with high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and that consumer satisfaction is high resulting in a positive experience for the subjects and their parents. The results further indicate the importance for additional intervention for generalization of skills.

Keywords

Adolescents; Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Disorder; Effects; Functioning; High; High-functioning; Skill; Social; Social Skill Training; Spectrum

Controlled Subject

Special education; Behaviorism (Psychology)

File Format

pdf

File Size

3031.04 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

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Rights

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