Amy Rae

Literature Review

Bibliography
Information:

Crooke, P.J., Hendrix, R.E., & Rachman, J.Y. (2008) Brief report:
Measuring the effectiveness of teaching social thinking to
children with Asperger Syndrome and high functioning
Autism. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 38,
581-591.

Author(s)
Affiliation:

P.J. Crooke and R.E. Hendrix are affiliated with M.G. Winners
Center for Social Thinking in San Jose, California. J.Y. Rachman
is affiliated with Stone Oak Therapy Services and Learning
Institute located in San Antonio, Texas. All three authors are
professors of Speech, Language, and Hearing sciences at the
University of Arizona.

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)

Scholarly article

Summary of
essential
information:

Social difficulties in children with autism are well recognized,

however, interventions for social deficits reported in literature
vary widely in scope and effectiveness. This article reports on
the effectiveness of teaching a social cognitive approach,
called Social Thinking, to six males with Asperger syndrome
or High Functioning Autism. This article discusses Theory of
Mind, or the understanding that others have thoughts,
beliefs, intentions, desires, and feelings that are different
from their own. Social Thinking is grounded in theory related
to social cognition and promotes teaching the why behind
socialization. Deficits in executive functioning for students
with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are addressed within
the Social Thinking program. Targeted skills include
awareness and expression of feelings, making eye-contact,
recognition of non-verbal communication, politeness,
introducing oneself to others, conversing (starting,
maintaining, and ending conversations), making small talk,
negotiating with others, responding to bullying, and hygiene.

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related
to your inquiry:

This article provides background information on the Social

Thinking curriculum as used as an intervention with students
with ASD. It adds to the literature by reporting that the
intervention is an effective approach for increasing positive
social behaviors and decreasing less desirable/ unexpected
social behaviors within this specific population of students.

Amy Rae

Literature Review

Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

- the students in this study are similar to the population of

students I intend to work with (students with ASD)
- program delivered as an intervention
-data was collected through observation over several
occasions
-article provided brief descriptions of the lessons used in the
study that I can access and adapt for my own purposes

Bibliography
Information:

Blacher, J. & Howell, E. (2007, August) Unlocking the mystery

of social deficits in autism: Theory of mind as key. Exceptional
Parent Magazine. 96-97.

Author(s)
Affiliation:

J. Blacher, Ph.D. is a professor and faculty chair in the

Graduate School of Education at the University of California
(UC) Riverside. E. Howell is a doctoral student at UC Riverside
and a SEARCH fellow (Support-Education-AdvocacyResources-Communication-Hope) at UCs Family Autism
Resource Center.

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)

Trade article

Summary of
essential
information:

Theory of Mind (ToM) is key to the development of ones

social skills and without it, people cannot understand of infer
the thoughts, feelings, or intentions of others. ToM can affect
interpersonal interactions, academics, daily living, following
directions, and understanding socially based information.
Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) lack ToM skills
and can have difficulties with play, social communication, and
other forms of perspective taking. This article identifies
different research studies that suggest that ToM skills can be
taught. However, due to the complexities of the social world
and theory of mind development, evidence of observable
social change through short-term intervention is lacking. But
the authors predict as more is learned about ToM and the
range of social skills influenced by it, more successful,
evidence-based interventions will be developed, such as
Michelle Garcia Winners Social Thinking.

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related

This article identifies the Social Thinking curriculum as an

effective tool for use with students lacking ToM. Rather than
teaching social skills in a scripted format, Social Thinking
teaches participants strategies so that they can generate

Amy Rae

Literature Review

to your inquiry:

their own social understanding in a variety of contexts.

Children with ASD can learn to monitor and modify their own
behavior according to what their peers are doing. It teaches
them to think about what other people are thinking.

Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

-Social Thinking, the intervention I plan on implementing, was

identified as an effective tool for use with students who lack
social skills and/or Theory of Mind
-article identifies specific aspects of the curriculum and why
they are effective for use with this population of students.

Bibliography
Information:

Crooke, P.J. & Winner, M.G. (2011, January 18). Social

communication strategies for adolescents with autism. The
ASHA Leader, 8-11.
M.G. Winner is a speech and language pathologist and
director of The Center for Social Thinking in San Jose,
California. She specializes in working with students with social
cognitive deficits. P.J. Crooke is also a speech and language
pathologist and on the clinical faculty at San Jose University.
She is also a senior clinician at the Center for Social Thinking
in San Jose, California.

Author(s)
Affiliation:

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)
Summary of
essential
information:

Trade article
According to this article, recent reports have suggested that a
social learning deficit, like those often experienced by
students with ASD, clearly has an impact on social skill
development and a possible effect on academic achievement.
The Social Thinking theory views social skills as dynamic and
situational, not as something that can be taught and then
replicated across many settings. Instead, the Social Thinking
theory suggests that social skills appear to evolve from
ones thinking about how one wants to be perceived.
According to the authors, social skills are the behavioral
output of our social minds. Through social thinking, students
can build stronger social minds.

Amy Rae

Literature Review

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related
to your inquiry:

This article written by M.G. Winner, who developed the Social

Thinking theory, summarizes the key points of Social Thinking
in simple terms. It familiarizes the reader with the basic
concepts and language used in Social Thinking, as well as
step-by-step instructions through a treatment sequence.

Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

- article provides first hand information from the woman who

developed Social Thinking
- identifies students with ASD as the targeted population for
Social Thinking curriculum
- familiarizes the reader with the language used in the Social
Thinking curriculum
- provides steps to follow for a treatment sequence when
working with students

Bibliography
Information:

Davis, N., DeRosier, M., Matthews, R., McMillen, J.S., & Swick,
D.C. (2010, November 2). The efficacy of a social skills group
intervention for improving social behaviors in children with
high functioning autism and spectrum disorders. The Journal
of Autism & Development Disorders, 41, 1033-1043.

Author(s)
Affiliation:

The National Institute of Mental Health

The 3-C Institute for Social Development

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)

Scholarly article

Summary of
essential
information:

This study examined the treatment benefits of S.S. GRIN-HFA,

a new social skills training intervention specifically designed
to address multiple social skills areas for children ages 8- to
12-years with higher functioning ASD. Students with high
functioning ASD typically demonstrate average cognitive
abilities, yet they experience social challenges including:
initiating, negotiating, maintaining social interactions,
using/interpreting verbal and nonverbal behaviors in
communication, social cognition, empathy, and sharing
affective experiences. The treatment program used provided
a manualized research-based option to aid mental health
professionals in their work with children with higher

Amy Rae

Literature Review
functioning ASD. Overall, results indicated more positive
outcomes for families who participated in S.S.GRIN- HFA
versus those in the control group. They exhibited significantly
greater mastery of social skills, as measured by the ALQ,
compared to children in the control group.

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related
to your inquiry:

These findings support the potential value for enhanced

treatment benefits of implementing such a highly focused
curriculum that addresses the specific needs of children with
high functioning ASD. Results of the study provide evidence
that when children with high functioning ASD are in a group
with more similar peers, following a protocol that is designed
specifically to meet their social needs enhances outcomes.

Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

- article provides evidence that a social skill intervention can

improve the social skills of students with ASD
- the S.S.GRIN- HFA program is similar to the intervention of
Social Thinking that I will use

Bibliography
Information:

Higgins, K., Pierce, T., & Terpstra, J.E. (2002, Summer). Can I
play? Classroom-based interventions for teaching play skills
to children with autism. Focus on Autism and Other
Developmental Disabilities, 17(2), 119-128.

Author(s)
Affiliation:

J.E. Terpstra, MEd, is a doctoral student in the department of

special education at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. K.
Higgins, PhD, is an associate professor in the department of
special education at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. T.
Pierce, PhD, is an associate professor and chairperson of the
department of special education at the University of Nevada
in Las Vegas.

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)
Summary of
essential
information:

Scholarly article
There are many interventions and methods discussed in the
research related to teaching social and play skills to children
with ASD. Some strategies include teaching isolated play
skills in the context of pre-teaching, script training for play
skills, using peer models, and using pivotal response training.
One of the deficit areas for children with ASD includes the

Amy Rae

Literature Review
ability to engage in typical play individually or with peers. It is
within play that children practice a variety of roles, learn to
read, learn to follow, and experience acceptance. Childhood
play provides the opportunity to learn and practice the social
skills that are important for successful functioning within
school and society. Teachers who work with students that
have ASD should know the many methods to teach play. The
method selected for use with a specific child will be
dependent on the individual childs developmental level,
language ability, motivational level, availability of peers,
educational setting, and type of play to be taught.

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related
to your inquiry:

This article explains the current research about teaching play

and how to adapt it for effective use in both specialized and
inclusive classrooms. Before deciding on the approach, the
teacher should consider the individual childs developmental
level, language ability, motivational level, availability of
peers, educational setting, and type of play to be taught.
Each of these factors will inform the teacher on the
appropriate strategy to implement.

Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

- this article supports providing students with opportunities to

practice skills taught with typically developing peer models
- connects play skills to important executive functioning and
other school-related skills

Bibliography
Information:

DiSalvo, C.A., & Oswald, D.P. (2002, Winter). Peer-mediated

interventions to increase the social interaction of children
with autism: Consideration of peer expectancies. Focus on
Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 17(4), 198207.

Author(s)
Affiliation:

C.A. DiSalvo, BS, is a clinical psychology doctoral student at

Virginia Commonwealth University. D.P. Oswald, PhD, is an
associate professor of psychiatry and psychology at Virginia
Commonwealth University.

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)
Summary of
essential
information:

Scholarly article
Social skills consist of the ability to relate to others in a
reciprocally reinforcing manner, and the ability to adapt social
behaviors to different contexts. Inadequate social skills
impede development by increasing behavior problems that

Amy Rae

Literature Review
result from not having appropriate social skills, increasing the
likelihood for maladaptive behavior later in life, and
decreasing the positive developmental support and learning
opportunities found successful in peer relationships. Peermediated strategies for social skill instruction typically
involve the use of socially competent peers to model and
reinforce appropriate social behavior. These peers can model
and reinforce appropriate, expected behaviors. However,
children with ASD who are in an integrated classroom without
any specific intervention to promote socialization are unlikely
to attend to their peer models.

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related
to your inquiry:

This article discusses different peer-mediated approaches for

socialization interventions. Intervention techniques included
arranging the situation to promote peer interaction,
promoting peer effort by teaching the peers skills for
initiating play, and changing peer expectancies by teaching
social skills to children with ASD. All three approaches
reported substantial improvements in social interactions for
students with ASD and their typically developing peers in
different ways.

Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

- students used in this study demonstrated little appropriate

play, participated in a high degree of repetitive play, and had
little to no language (similar to focus student in my research)
- article provides evidence of using peer modeling as part of
successful intervention

Bibliography
Information:

Crooke, P.J., & Winner, M.G. (2009, July). Social Thinking: A

developmental treatment approach for students with social
learning/social pragmatic challenges. Perspectives on
Language Learning and Education, 16(2), 62-69.

Author(s)
Affiliation:

M.G. Winner is a speech and language pathologist and

director of The Center for Social Thinking in San Jose,
California. She specializes in working with students with social
cognitive deficits. P.J. Crooke is also a speech and language
pathologist and on the clinical faculty at San Jose University.
She is also a senior clinician at the Center for Social Thinking
in San Jose, California.

Amy Rae
Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)
Summary of
essential
information:

Literature Review

Scholarly article
Social development appears to begin prior to birth and
emerges in the early days of life as babies actively pursue
social learning through their daily experiences. Social
manipulation and the ability to think socially appear to be
critical not only for social participation but also for
understanding aspects of play, problem solving,
understanding communicative intentions, written expression
and reading comprehension. Children with typical
development acquire social skills and communication
relatively easily; however, those with social learning
difficulties do not intuitively understand and use these
concepts without great effort and direct teaching. The deeper
study of how we learn socially and then develop related
treatment strategies for those who lack in social skill
development has recently taken on new urgency with the
increasing numbers of students with diagnoses such as ASD,
PDD-NOS, and Non-Verbal Learning Disability, who may
exhibit social skill deficits.

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related
to your inquiry:

Teaching Social Thinking and related social skills appears to

provide a deeper answer as well as lessons to increase social
pragmatic functioning. The ILAUGH model of Social Thinking
is a theoretical model that can be used to explore some of the
variables that lend themselves to good communication and
problem solving. Social skill interventions for persons with
social challenges should make the abstract concrete, provide
a scaffold of language support, foster self-awareness and selfesteem, progress sequentially, and provide opportunities for
programmed generalization and ongoing practice. All of
which the Social Thinking curriculum incudes.

Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

- provides theory and research to support the Social Thinking

curriculum
- explains key vocabulary from the curriculum
- explains the ILAUGH model, central to understanding Social
Thinking

Bibliography
Information:

Ingersoll, B.R., & Walton, K.M. (2012, July 13). Improving

social skills in adolescents and adults with autism and severe
to profound intellectual disability: A review of literature.
Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 43, 594-615.

Amy Rae

Literature Review

Author(s)
Affiliation:

B.R. Ingersoll and K.M. Walton are professors in the

department of psychology at Michigan State University.

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)

Scholarly article

Summary of
essential
information:

Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder often

characterized by impairments in communication skills and
social skills. Those with ASD often display restricted or
repetitive behaviors and/or interests. Currently, there are few
treatments available for adolescents and adults with ASD in
regards to their social skills. This literature review discusses
some social skill interventions that are available and that may
improve social skills including video modeling,
developmental, peer-mediated, behavioral, and structured
teaching interventions. Each of these interventions were
explained including the philosophy behind it, studies
completed using the intervention, a summary of findings from
those studies, and limitations of the intervention. The authors
also found that there are more interventions available for
early childhood, and call for further research for adolescents
and adults. Overall, every intervention had an impact on
social skill development as reported by each study.

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related
to your inquiry:

This article introduced and explained different interventions

available for use with students with ASD. The authors
included studies to support their claims, summarized the
studies, and included any limitations of the interventions. The
authors stated that their findings in this review left them
unable to recommend a specific treatment or intervention.
However, they were able to provide important factors that
researchers should consider as they select treatments or
interventions to use with their students. These factors include
treatment targets, interaction partners, and outcome
measurement.

Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

- provided factors to consider when selecting an intervention

to use to improve social skills for students with ASD
- identified more early childhood intervention options, which
is the age group of my focus student

Amy Rae

Literature Review

Bibliography
Information:

Mancil, G.R., Ogilive, C., & Whitby, P.J.S. (2012, November 1).
A framework for teaching social skills to students with
Asperger Syndrome in the general education classroom. The
Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 18 (1), 62- 72.

Author(s)
Affiliation:

G.R. Mancil is associated with Applied Behavioral

Advancement in Bowling Green, Kentucky. C. Ogilvie is
associated with the University of West Florida in Pensacola,
Florida. P.J.S. Whitby is associated with the University of
Nevada in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)

Trade article

Summary of
essential
information:

As the number of students with ASD increases, likewise, the

amount served in inclusive settings increases. For students
with ASD to be successful in inclusive settings, social-skills
instruction is necessary to enhance their experience in
school. Its important for educators to infuse academic
instruction with social-skill instruction. Collaborating with the
IEP team members, including the development of social skills
into their daily instruction, and modeling pro-social behavior
are all key requirements for teachers trying to make a
positive impact on the social development of students with
ASD. Teaching students social skills in an inclusive setting has
several implications for both the regular and the special
education teachers. To promote generalization of skills, the
instruction should be delivered to the students in their natural
setting. This collaboration between general and special
educators allows teachers to build social skill programming
that provides direct instruction, contextualized practice, and
social reinforcement.

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related
to your inquiry:

This article stresses the importance of inclusion of all

students and collaboration amongst teachers. Since there is
an increasing number of students with ASD, having social skill
deficits, being serviced in the regular education setting,
collaboration, facilitation of social skill development, and
modeling pro-social behavior are all ways to meet
successfully meet their needs. Explicit teaching of social skills
in the natural setting also improves the students school
experiences and, possibly, their quality of life.

Amy Rae

Literature Review

Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

- collaboration and inclusion are both important elements in

my action research design
- peers provide natural social reinforcement, which is why
typically developing peers are in my research design

Bibliography
Information:

Winner, M.G. (2013). Assessment of social skills for students

with Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism.
Assessment for Effective Intervention, 27, 73-80.
M.G. Winner is a speech and language pathologist and
director of The Center for Social Thinking in San Jose,
California. She specializes in working with students with social
cognitive deficits.

Author(s)
Affiliation:
Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)

Trade article

Summary of
essential
information:

According to the author and creator of the Social Thinking

Theory, social skills are a behavioral manifestation of social
cognition. Students with ASD are often weak in areas of their
social skills, and this impacts their abilities to comprehend
and participate in academic assignments, as well as socially
relate to others. Since there are very few appropriate
standardized assessments available for measuring social skill
deficits, utilizing informal assessment tools becomes an
important part of a Social Thinking intervention. These
informal tools include observing the student with peers,
across different environmental aspects, relating with the
student without facilitating the students social success, and
interviewing teachers and parents about the students daily
functioning.

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related
to your inquiry:

A 5-step approach to assessment was introduced and

explained to more fully provide information regarding the
origin and nature of students social cognition and related
skills. This is called the I-LAUGH model; initiation, listening
with eyes and brain, abstract and inferential, understanding
the perspective of others, gestalt processing (big picture),
and humor. These are different components to consider in the
evaluation of students suspected of having social cognitive
deficits. Informal assessment tools were also defined and
described for use with students with ASD.

Amy Rae

Literature Review

Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

- article defined different possible deficits using Social

Thinking vocabulary
- informal assessment tools were defined and described for
use with students exhibiting social deficits
- information was useful for planning and triangulating my
data collection tools

Bibliography
Information:

Winner, M.G. (2014). Social Thinking fact sheet: Core facts

and theories. What is Social Thinking? 1-4.

Author(s)
Affiliation:

M.G. Winner is a speech and language pathologist and

director of The Center for Social Thinking in San Jose,
California. She specializes in working with students with social
cognitive deficits.

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)
Summary of
essential
information:

Trade article
Social thinking is the user-friendly term for social cognition.
It develops in children starting at birth, and for most people it
is intuitively learned. A milestone during development is
called joint attention, when babies learn to look at peoples
eyes and follow what they are looking at to figure out what
they are thinking about. Joint attention leads to
communication development, plays skills, cooperation,
sharing, and working as a group. Social thinking requires
students to learn to think about their play, school, social
relationships, and the community. These skills are also often
deficits for children with ASD. Social thinking helps the
students who did not have their social thinking develop
intuitively. When people learn how to think differently and
flexibly, they can think anywhere. This is different from
simply teaching a social skill. Individuals who are taught only
a social skill, not the thinking behind it, will only perform that
skill in the environment in which they learned it.

Amy Rae

Literature Review

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related
to your inquiry:

Core philosophies of social thinking:

Think with your eyes- helps to figure out what people
are thinking, feeling, or their intentions
Thoughts and emotions are strongly connected
We adjust our behavior based on what we think people
are thinking- avoiding weird thoughts
Social thinking happens all day, everyday
Social thinking skills are used throughout life, needed to
be successful in school or at work

Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

- comprehensive explanation about social thinking theory in

user-friendly language
- helped familiarize myself with theory and language used,
which makes using the lessons and intervention easier

Bibliography
Information:

McMahon, C.A., Soloman, M. & Vismara, L.A. (2012,

December 14). Measuring changes in social behavior during a
social skills intervention for high-functioning children and
adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism
& Developmental Disorders, 43 (2013), 1843-1856.

Author(s)
Affiliation:

McMahon, Soloman, & Vismara are affiliated with the MIND

institute at the University of California. McMahon is also
affiliated with the Department of Curriculum and Instruction
at Indiana University.

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)
Summary of
essential
information:

Scholarly article
This study focused on the social behavior of children and
adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Social behaviors
included initiating conversation, maintaining conversation
and demonstrating empathy. A social skill intervention was
implemented for participants. Over the course of the
intervention, students spent more time interacting with
peers, increased their abilities to maintain conversations, and
spent marginally less time interacting with a leader or an
adult. This study also used behavioral coding to assess the
changes in social behavior over the course of the

Amy Rae

Literature Review
intervention.

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related
to your inquiry:
Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

This article was focused on a study similar to my action

research question. The results of this study indicate that
students diagnosed with ASD that participate in a social skills
intervention show improvement in social behaviors. The
students in this study were able to learn and apply the social
skills being taught to them using an intervention curriculum.
- similar research study focusing on the use of a social skill
intervention to improve students (diagnosed with ASD) social
behaviors
- targeted social behaviors in this study similar to the
behaviors I will be targeting

Bibliography Liebe Lieberman, R.G. & Yoder, P. (2012, June). Play and
Information:
communication in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Journal of Early Intervention, 34 (2), 82-103.
Author(s)
Affiliation:

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)
Summary of
essential
information:

R.G. Lieberman is affiliated with the Department of Special

Education at Peabody College, Vanderbilt University and the
Department of Communication Sciences and Special
Education at the University of Georgia. P. Yoder is affiliated
with the Department of Special Education at Peabody College,
Vanderbilt University.
Scholarly article
This article discusses the connection between play and
communication in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum
Disorder. According to the authors, the development of
language is a complex interactive process. It requires the
support of early routines that children learn through play. Play
teaches children how to engage socially and successfully take

Amy Rae

Literature Review
turns. Students with ASD often demonstrate deficient play
skills and delayed communication skills. To address these
deficiencies, the authors suggest intervention work within the
context of play routines and play skills. To develop play, a
child must be aware of people and events in their
environment to observe and later imitate.

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related
to your inquiry:

Students with ASD may be less able to notice and learn from
events occurring around them. Therefore, they are less likely
to develop the play skills required to later develop the
communication skills and other social behaviors such as
initiations of conversation and joint attention. Interventions
may be required to teach students with ASD certain play
skills. Intervention curricula should address coordinated
attention to object and person, since it is an integral step in
development of play.

Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

- delayed development of play may delay the development of

social behaviors
- the focus student I am working with has demonstrated
delays in his development of play, which may be the reason
he has social skill deficits

Bibliography
Information:

Mastrangelo, S. (2009, Sept/Oct). Harnessing the power of

play: Opportunities for children with Autism Spectrum
Disorders. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 42 (1), 34-44.

Author(s)
Affiliation:

S. Mastrangelo is a professor of Education at Lakehead

University in Ontario, Canada.

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)

Trade article

Summary of
essential
information:

Play usually occurs naturally for children and has substantive

benefits for children as they develop. Children usually move
through the various stages of play development, adding
complexity, imagination, and creativity. However, this is not
always the case for students with ASD. Play development for
them may never occur, or occur in a fragmented way.

Amy Rae

Literature Review
Students diagnosed with having ASD often exhibit difficulties
in motor planning, expressive and receptive communication,
imitation, fine motor, and gross motor movements, all of
which are needed for play. Children with ASD often exhibit
some kind of play, but the type and quality varies from those
of students who are typically developing.

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related
to your inquiry:

Children with ASD often have difficulty establishing and

maintaining relationships with peers. This may include an
inability to greet others, difficulties with imitation, following
directions, sharing toys, taking turns, and an inability to ask
for help or desired objects. Another common deficit for
students with ASD is the inability to relate to others.
Understanding emotions and facial expressions can be
extremely challenging for students with ASD. As a result, they
often make minimal eye contact and avoid social encounters.
Providing opportunities for play may enhance a childs
awareness of other peoples feelings and intentions. The
Social Thinking Curriculum is designed to teach students with
social skill deficits how to think about others; their emotions
and intentions.

Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

- a lack of development of play stages causes delay in

development of social skills such as eye contact, awareness
of others, and communication
- social deficits identified in the article are similar to those the
focus student is exhibiting: difficulty establishing and
maintaining relationships with peers, inability to greet others,
difficulties with imitation, following directions, sharing toys,
taking turns, and an inability to ask for help or desired objects

Bibliography
Information:

Hogan, K. (1997, August). Nonverbal thinking,

communication, imitation, and play skills from a
developmental perspective. Educational Resources
Information Center, 3-15.

Author(s)
Affiliation:

K. Hogan is affiliated with Division TEACCH at the University

of North Carolina.

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)

Trade article

Amy Rae

Literature Review

Summary of
essential
information:

All children typically go through stages in the development of

play skills that range from playing with simple toys alone, to
playing games with other children. However, children with
ASD usually demonstrate an uneven pattern of development
with nonverbal skills. They can have a difficult time learning
to play, often learning to work successfully before learning to
play successfully. Intervention is needed to teach children
with ASD the play skills that come naturally to typically
developing children.

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related
to your inquiry:

The most difficult aspect of learning to play, to imitate, and to

communicate is learning the concept of these areas of
development. Children with ASD do not inherently understand
the meaning or the importance of these skills. They do not
understand the why. The Social Thinking curriculum
attempts to teach the why behind certain skills including
communication, turn-taking, and sharing.

Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

- article outlines the development stages in nonverbal or

visual thinking, communication, imitation, and play
- article is a good resource for activity ideas to teach specific
play skills

Bibliography
Information:

Bottema-Beutel, K., DeWitt, M. & Wolfberg, P. (2012, Fall).

Including children with Autism in social and imaginary play
with typical peers: Integrated play groups model. American
Journal of Play, 5 (1), 55-80.

Author(s)
Affiliation:

Authors are affiliated with San Francisco State University in

California.

Amy Rae

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)

Literature Review

Scholarly article

Summary of
essential
information:

The development of play, especially peer-play experiences, is

a vital part of childrens socialization, development, and
culture. Children diagnosed with having ASD often face
specific challenges in social and imaginary play, which has an
affect on the development of their social sills. This article
focuses on the theory and use of an intervention to teach
play, called Integrated Peer Groups (IPGs). IPGs are a
comprehensive, research-based intervention that helps
children on the autism spectrum engage in play with typical
peers in regular social settings. IPGs are described in the
article for use with children and teens.

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related
to your inquiry:

Typically developing children need little motivation or

guidance to play with peers. However, children with ASD
encounter significant obstacles when it comes to play
experiences and are not gaining the same benefits as their
typically developing peers. Therefore, their social skill
development can be negatively affected. Children with ASD
can appear isolated or disconnected when it comes to freeplay conditions due to the lack of awareness of other. The
Social Thinking curriculum attempts to teach children with
ASD how to be aware of others and what they are thinking
about them.

Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

- if I were to pursue further research about the connection

between play development and social skill development, this
article offers a specific research-based intervention to use
with my focus student

Amy Rae

Literature Review

Bibliography
Information:

Lam, Y.G. & Yeung, S.S. (2011). Cognitive deficits and

symbolic play in preschoolers with Autism. Research in
Autism Spectrum Disorders, 6 (2012), 560- 564.

Author(s)
Affiliation:

The authors are affiliated with the Department of

Psychological Studies at the Hong Kong Institution of
Education in Hong Kong, China.

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)

Scholarly article

Summary of
essential
information:

Past studies have found that children with ASD have less
frequent spontaneous pretend play. Instead, their behaviors
are repetitive, stereotypic, and lack variety. Pretend play is
classified into two categories: functional and symbolic.
Symbolic play usually develops for children around 24 months
of age. However, students with ASD can experience
impairments with their symbolic play development. This
article examines three different theories explaining cognitive
impairments in autism looking for a reason why students with
ASD experience difficulties with play. The three theories
include: Theory of Mind, executive function deficit, and
weak central coherence.

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related
to your inquiry:

Symbolic play, a type of imaginary play, has been suggested

as an autism-specific deficit as children with other
developmental disorders tend to show comparable amount of
play with typically developing peers. Symbolic play
development is linked to many other important
developmental achievements such as social skills, emotional
regulations, and language abilities.

Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

- article links the development of symbolic play to the

development of other important skills including social skills,
emotional regulations, and language
-article also identifies symbolic play as an autism-specific
deficit

Amy Rae

Literature Review

Bibliography
Information:

Harchik, A.E., Licciardello, C.C., & Luiselli, J.K. (2008). Social

skills intervention for children with Autism during interactive
play at a public elementary school. Education and Treatment
of Children, 31 (1), 27-37.

Author(s)
Affiliation:

A.E. Harchik is affiliated with the May Institute in Randolph,

Massachusetts. C.C. Licciardello is affiliated with the
University of Massachusetts. C.C. Luiselli is affiliated with the
May Institute and the May Center for Applied Research in
Randolph, Massachusetts.

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly/Trade/O
ther)

Scholarly article

Summary of
essential
information:

Children with ASD frequently need intervention to acquire

functional and appropriate social skills. Lacking these
necessary social skills can impede the learning opportunities
that are available during peer interactions and peer-play
experiences. Lacking social skills can also lead to behavior
problems. Intervention is needed to teach students with ASD
appropriate play skills. The study found that interventions
combining pre-teaching, prompting, praise, and rewards
increased social initiations and social responses of four
children with ASD.

Way in which this

source
influences the
field related
to your inquiry:

This article identifies three different interventions to use with

students who lack appropriate social and play skills,
specifically students with ASD. Strategies include the use of
pre-teaching, rewards, and prompting to increase social
initiations towards peers.

Potential
relevance to your
research topic
and study:

- if I were to pursue further research about the connection

between play development and social skill development, this
article offers 3 specific interventions to use with my focus
student