LEGO therapy and the social use of language programme: an evaluation of two social skills interventions for children with high functioning autism and Asperger Syndrome.

Researchers compared two after-school clubs for 6-young learners with high-functioning autism or Asperger Syndrome. One club built LEGO sets in pairs and teams. The other club followed the Social Use of Language Programme (SULP) with stories and role-play. Kids were picked by lottery for LEGO, SULP, or a wait-list.

Each club met once a week for one hour. The study ran over the study period. Trained adults led both groups in the same school rooms.

LEGO kids scored higher on the autism-specific social interaction test than both SULP kids and wait-list kids. Both LEGO and SULP groups showed less problem behavior than the wait-list group.

The LEGO edge was large enough to be seen by parents and teachers. Gains showed up right after the 18 weeks.

Menezes et al. (2021) looked at 18 school social-skills studies and found most help when peers join. Owens et al. (2008) is one of those 18, showing LEGO fits the pattern.

Lopata et al. (2025) followed similar kids for up to four years. They found social gains stuck, so the LEGO boost may last.

Schaaf et al. (2015) swapped LEGO bricks for superhero play and still saw big jumps. The theme seems less important than the peer-plus-coach setup.

You can run a LEGO club in any classroom with one table and a bucket of bricks. Pair learners, assign roles, and rotate each week. The study gives you a ready script and shows it beats a story-only approach. Try it next term for social IEP goals.