Effective interventions for improving social skills in people with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. Intervention focused on social skills in people with autism has been a topic of interest in the last years, partly motivated by the introduction of the use of electronic devices. For this reason, the present work has focused on the review of the most recent interventions carried out with people with autism spectrum disorder for the improvement of their social skills, with the aim of knowing its effectiveness and encouraging the creation of more such programmes. METHOD. A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA method (Page, 2021), using the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The search strategy was based on a combination of search terms, filters, and specific inclusion criteria. RESULTS. Finally, following the review, a total of 12 articles were selected for analysis. Results were coded according to reference, type of intervention, sample size, mean age of the sample, number of sessions and duration, assessment instrument and main results found. Among the different interventions to improve social skills in people with autism spectrum disorder are the use of the Nao Humanoid Robot, Augmented Reality to recreate virtual socialisation environments, modelling through Video, Group Social Skills training through instructions, with peer groups, teachers, parents, and the implementation of activities with construction sets. CONCLUSIONS. The results concluded that the techniques used in the interventions analysed show positive results, although there are several methodological deficiencies in the way they are carried out. Given that the interventions have been effective in the short term, focused studies should be carried out in the medium and long term.