Abstract
Social skills interventions (SSIs) are commonly used to improve social functioning
in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is a condition characterized by
differences in social cognition and social communication. Although more traditional
SSIs have used knowledge-based, didactic instruction, recent research has explored
the utility of performance-based SSIs, which use various activities to support implicit
learning of social skills in supportive, enriched environments. This article reviews
the extant literature evaluating the effectiveness or efficacy of five performance-based
SSIs using theater-based approaches on social cognition and social communication.
Overall, this body of literature suggests social communication gains that include
increased peer interactions, peer liking, and reciprocal friendships, as well as social
cognitive gains in theory of mind and affect recognition. This review also discusses
theoretical models that may help explain the emerging strengths of performance- and
theater-based SSIs with underlying hypotheses related to the social communication
and social cognitive differences in ASD. Limitations of performance-based SSIs in
the evidence-base include several approaches in initial stages of research with small
sample sizes and limited maintenance of effects. Future research should aim to bridge
the research-to-practice gap and use more rigorous designs and more diverse samples,
including those with cooccurring intellectual disability.
Keywords social skills interventions - social communication - social cognition - autism spectrum
disorder - performance-and theater-based social skills interventions
