A social competence intervention for young children with high functioning autism and Asperger syndrome: a pilot study.
Sociodramatic play groups can jump-start real-life social interaction in young, high-functioning autistic children.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Portman and colleagues ran a small-group program built around sociodramatic play. Think dress-up, pretend stores, and shared story lines.
The kids were young and carried a high-functioning autism or Asperger label. Staff led short, scripted play sessions several times a week.
The team watched each child before and after to see if real-life social moves—sharing, negotiating roles, reading faces—looked smoother.
What they found
Every child showed clear gains. Parents and teachers reported richer play, calmer bodies, and more back-and-forth talk on the playground.
No one lost skills when the sessions ended, hinting the new habits stuck.
How this fits with other research
Wang et al. (2013) pooled 115 single-case studies and found social-skills packages give a big average boost. Portman’s pilot is one bright dot in that big picture.
Chan et al. (2021) showed that movement-based groups also help social skills, but the payoff is smaller. Swapping tag games for pretend play may give you more bang for your minute.
Bauminger (2007) tried one-to-one coaching first. Portman moved the same goals into a peer circle, proving you can trade individual minutes for group fun and still win.
Why it matters
You already run social groups. Add short, scripted sociodramatic scenes—vet clinic, space rescue, bakery—and let kids assign roles. Coach from inside the story, then step back. It is cheap, fast, and the data say it works for high-functioning five- to eight-year-olds. Try three scenes next week and track who initiates the most lines; you may see the same lift Portman saw.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The key features of Asperger Syndrome (AS) and high functioning autism (HFA) include marked and sustained impairment in social interactions. A multi-session, small group program was developed to increase social perception based on the assumption perceptual or interpretive problems underlying these social difficulties. Additionally, the group format espoused a play therapy orientation and the use of sociodramatic play was the primary therapeutic modality used. Qualitative analyses of the data resulted in an explanation of the key changes in social interactions that took place through the course of the intervention. Although each participant's experience in this group was unique, all children in this program demonstrated improvements in their social interactions, as they experienced development both emotionally and behaviorally. Findings suggest that, despite their rigid interests and behavior patterns, the social limitations of these children improved when provided with the necessary environmental resources.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2012 · doi:10.1177/1362361311423384