The relationship between atypical visual processing and social skills in young children with autism

Towards a supramodal organization of conceptual knowledge

Preschool age is a crucial period for social development. Social skills acquired during this period are the basis for future life’s success. This study aimed to investigate the level of social skills in preschool children at home and in preschool and to examine the association between children’s social skills and environmental and cultural backgrounds. A cross-sectional study using a multistage cluster sampling method was conducted on 546 children studying in the preschool centers of an urban area of Iran. Data were collected through demographic and social skill questionnaires from parents and teachers. Our findings showed that the social skills of girls were more than those of boys at home. Further, the majority of children had a moderate level of social skills from the parents’ and teachers’ perspectives. There was a modest parent–teacher agreement in most domains of social skills. Moreover, a statistically significant association was reported between children’s social skill domains and the child’s birth rank, father’s age, father’s job, teacher’s age, teacher’s education, teacher’s experience, and preschool classroom in terms of the numbers of children and the type of classroom. Accordingly, the risk of problems with social skills was reported to be relatively low. Therefore, more attention should be given to the family status and the teacher’s and preschool center’s characteristics to improve social skills in children.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show ongoing problems with social communication and interaction, plus limited repeated behavior patterns (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). These social skill issues make it hard to them to fit into schools and society. While common treatments like social skills training, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), and speech therapy are often used worldwide research suggests that music education could help boost social interaction in ASD children. But in Vietnam, this idea is pretty new, without many thorough reviews or practical how-to guides. Studies show that music education activities lead to better social skills in autistic children. Music helps improve eye contact taking turns, copying others, and starting social interactions. Most studies find that groups using music show much better results than those that do not. But how well music works depends on things like how it is done how long it lasts, if parents are involved, and each child's unique traits. Some big controlled studies have shown mixed results, which means we need more research to figure out the best way to use music. This review backs up the idea that music education could help develop social skills in autistic children. It suggests that teachers and experts should mix music into special education programs to boost social interaction and inclusion. The study also points out current research limits and suggests future research topics stressing the need for Vietnam-specific studies and the creation of special music programs for ASD children.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder display impairments in social interactions and communication that appear at early ages and result in short- and long-term negative outcomes. As such, there is a need for effective social skills training programs for young children with autism spectrum disorder-particularly interventions capable of being delivered in educational settings. The study evaluated the effects of the Superheroes Social Skills program on accurate demonstration of social skills in young children with autism spectrum disorder. Two preschool-age children with autism spectrum disorder participated in a weekly social skills intervention. A multiple probe design across skills was used to determine the effects of the intervention. Both participants demonstrated substantial improvements in skill accuracy. Social skills checklists also indicated improvements in social functioning over baseline levels.

Children with intellectual disabilities are individuals with intelligence below average, generally have barriers to social skills. Therapy to improve children's social skills is by playing origami therapy. This study aims to determine the effect of origami play therapy on the level of social skills in children with intellectual disabilities.The study was conducted in February 2023. Experimental research design with one group pretest-posttest approach. The total population is 89 students. The sampling technique through purposive sampling obtained 30 samples, data analysis with the Wilcoxon test. The results of social skills research before therapy most respondents had less social skills as much as 19 (63.3%), while after therapy, social skills increased, namely more than half 13 (43.3%) respondents had good social skills. In the statistical test, the result is a ρ value of 0.000, meaning that there was an effect of origami play therapy on the level of social skills in children with intellectual disabilities at Special Education School C Tulungagung. Origami play therapy carried out in groups will cause social interaction between children and peers so that they can improve children's social skills. It is recommended for educators to implement scheduled play therapy so that children's social skills are better.

Children's emotional and social skill development plays a crucial role in their social adjustment and mental health. Studies show that parenting style strongly influences this process, not only directly on the child's behaviour, but also indirectly on their emotional and social skills through emotion regulation. In recent years, scholars have increasingly focused on the mediating role of emotion regulation in parenting styles and children's social skill development, in an attempt to further reveal how parenting styles facilitate or hinder the formation and development of children's social skills by influencing emotion regulation. Therefore, with a particular focus on the mediating role of emotion regulation skills, this study will examine the effects of parenting styles on the development of children's emotional and social skills. Analyzing the effects of various parenting styles on emotion regulation can deepen our understanding of how effective parenting strategies can promote the healthy development of children's emotional and social skills. The study found that authoritative parenting, characterized by warmth and support, positively influenced children's emotional and social skills by enhancing their emotion regulation abilities. On the other hand, authoritarian and neglectful parenting styles were linked to poorer emotion regulation, hindering the development of children's social skills.

This research examines the role of teachers in establishing effective classroom rules for young children through a Christian value-based approach. The primary aim of the study is to explore how teachers can implement classroom rules that support discipline, responsibility, and character development in children. The methodology used is a literature review with a qualitative approach to analyse teachers' practices in the context of Christian education. The findings show that classroom rules that are consistently applied and based on Christian values can shape children's character, enhance discipline, and strengthen social skills in young children. This research provides valuable insights for educators and educational institutions to integrate Christian values in the formation of classroom rules. The main implication of this study is the importance of the teacher's role in creating a learning environment that not only promotes discipline but also fosters the moral and social development of children. The findings of this research can be used as a foundation to design teacher training programmes, enabling them to be more effective in implementing classroom rules based on Christian values, while simultaneously enhancing children's social skills and personality development from an early age. Keywords: class rules; discipline; character; training Abstrak Penelitian ini mengkaji peran guru dalam membangun aturan kelas yang efektif untuk anak usia dini dengan pendekatan berbasis nilai Kristiani. Tujuan utama penelitian adalah untuk mengeksplorasi bagaimana guru dapat menerapkan aturan kelas yang mendukung disiplin, tanggung jawab, dan perkembangan karakter anak. Metodologi yang digunakan adalah studi literatur dengan pendekatan kualitatif untuk menganalisis praktik guru dalam konteks pendidikan Kristen. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa aturan kelas yang diterapkan secara konsisten dan berbasis nilai Kristiani dapat membentuk karakter anak, meningkatkan disiplin, serta memperkuat keterampilan sosial anak usia dini. Penelitian ini memberikan wawasan penting bagi pendidik dan lembaga pendidikan untuk mengintegrasikan nilai Kristiani dalam pembentukan aturan kelas. Implikasi utama dari penelitian ini adalah pentingnya peran guru dalam menciptakan lingkungan belajar yang tidak hanya disiplin, tetapi juga mengembangkan karakter moral dan sosial anak. Hasil penelitian ini dapat digunakan sebagai dasar untuk merancang program pelatihan bagi guru, agar mereka dapat lebih efektif dalam menerapkan aturan kelas yang berbasis nilai Kristiani, sekaligus memperkuat keterampilan sosial dan kepribadian anak sejak dini. Kata Kunci: aturan kelas; disiplin; karakter; pelatihan

Pivotal response treatment (PRT) is an empirically validated behavioral treatment that has widespread positive effects on communication, behavior, and social skills in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For the first time, functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to identify the neural correlates of successful response to PRT in two young children with ASD. Baseline measures of social communication, adaptive behavior, eye tracking and neural response to social stimuli were taken prior to treatment and after 4months of PRT. Both children showed striking gains on behavioral measures and also showed increased activation to social stimuli in brain regions utilized by typically developing children. These results suggest that neural systems supporting social perception are malleable through implementation of PRT.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) generally experience lower levels of participation compared to typically developing children. The purpose of the present study was to explore characteristics of participation among different activities based on social and emotional skills, motor skills, and child characteristics (e.g. age, gender). Caregivers of children with ASD completed four survey instruments to assess motor skills, social skills, and characteristics of participation in different activities. Two activity scales were used to assess different types of activities, including social, physical, education, and recreational activities. Different characteristics of participation were explored, including the frequency of participation, who initiates participation, child enjoyment, and parental satisfaction. Multiple regressions were conducted to assess the predictability of motor skills, social skills, age, gender, and birth order on participation in different activities. Results demonstrated that social skills of children with ASD had the most consistent influence on participation in various activities. Findings provide insight into the factors associated with participation in a range of activities among children with ASD.

Research on the relationship between core and comorbid features in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), particularly executive function, remains limited. Additionally, the role of physical fitness in supporting ASD children’s growth and development appears critical. This study investigates the relationship between executive function, social skills, and physical health in children with ASD. A total of 428 male participants were enrolled, including 117 diagnosed with ASD (mean age: 10.25 ± 1.481 years) and 311 with typical development (mean age: 9.56 ± 1.261 years). The results showed that children with ASD had significantly lower executive function and social interaction abilities than those with typical development (P < 0.05). A strong correlation was found between executive function and social skills (first canonical correlation coefficient: 0.641, P < 0.001), with 20.4% of the variation in social abilities explained by executive function. Specifically, emotional control, working memory, social perception, social cognition, and autistic behaviors influenced ASD children’s development. While balance did not correlate significantly with physical fitness (P > 0.05), muscle strength showed a stronger effect (r = -0.485 to -0.535, P < 0.05). Improving physical fitness may help alleviate deficits in executive function and social skills. These findings provide early insights into the relationship between executive function and social skills in ASD, emphasizing the potential role of physical activity.

The study focuses on the empowerment of disabled children at the Community-Based Rehabilitation Center (CBR) in Kubang Pasu, Kedah, Malaysia. The objective of the study is to examine the communication and social skills of children with disabilities attending CBR based on parents' perspective. This study is quantitative in nature where data collection is done using the survey method involving parents/guardians who send their children/wards to CBR. A total of 95 respondents were involved in this study from the 137 trainee population. Findings show that the number of disabled children with a good, moderate and low levels of communication and social skills is almost the same at 35.79%, 32.63%, and 30.53% respectively. It is found that the relationship between age, and communication and social skills of children with disabilities have a moderately positive relationship, where the improvement of skills is aligned with the increment in age. Further, communication and social skills are different for all categories of PWD. Overall, this study found that CBRs are effective in empowering disabled children to participate in formal education.

Social skills impairment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is often considered a hallmark of the disorder. Impairments in social skills impede the development of meaningful social relationships in individuals with ASD. As children get older, social relationships and environments become more complex, further increasing social skills impairments and distress. Although social skill training has received a lot of attention in the last decade, more reliable and valid social skills measures that are adapted to use in the ASD population are needed. Given that social norms and expectations differ across cultures, more culturally valid measures are needed. The Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters-II (MESSY-II) is one of the most researched social skills measures that have been used internationally. To date, there are a limited number of social skills ratings scales in South Korea. Therefore, the current study examined the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Korean version of the MESSY-II (K-MESSY-II). In addition, potential differences among the factors with respect to age cohorts in Korean children and adolescents with ASD were examined. Finally, the cultural relevancy of the K-MESSY-II items was assessed. This study demonstrated that the K-MESSY-II is a psychometrically sound measure that may be used to enhance evaluation and treatment of social skills in children and adolescents, including those with ASD in South Korea.

Atypical visual perception has increasingly been described in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and linked to quantitative, autism-like features that are present in children and adults without ASD. We investigated whether individual differences in visual processing skills were related to quantitative measures of autism traits in a pediatric sample with a range of clinical features. Visual processing was comprehensively characterized using the test of visual perceptual skills (TVPS), a standardized test of visual perception with seven subtests that capture a range of visual processing abilities. The TVPS Figure Ground (TVPS-FG) subtest requires an individual to disembed a smaller figure from a larger scene. TVPS-FG subtest scores were positively correlated with children's autism features as measured by a parental report of the Broader Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAP-Q). The correlation with BAP-Q was specific to the TVPS-FG subtest, as the other TVPS subtest scores were not significantly related to the BAP-Q. This adds to the growing body of research documenting that atypical visual processing is associated with the autism phenotype and highlights the importance of capturing quantitative traits in heterogeneous developmental brain disorders.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often experience significant challenges in developing social skills, which can impact their ability to engage with peers and function in various social contexts. This study explores the development of social skills among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through video modeling intervention. Two ASD students, aged 5-10 years, were selected using purposive sampling from a local therapy center. The aim was to assess whether video modeling could improve their social behaviors, such as greetings, sharing, and peer interactions. Prior to the intervention, a pre-assessment was conducted, where teachers identified challenges in teaching social skills to the children. A 40-50 second video, demonstrating appropriate social behaviors, was developed and presented to the children in a controlled environment. The children watched the video multiple times over several sessions, with opportunities to practice the learned behaviors. Data was collected through a behavioral monitoring sheet, where teachers tracked whether the children successfully imitated the modeled behaviors after each session. Follow-up sessions ensured retention of skills by encouraging real-world practice. Post-assessment was carried out to compare teachers' perceptions of the children's progress in social skills before and after the intervention. The findings suggest that video modeling is effectively enhancing social skills in children with ASD, particularly in greeting peers, sharing, and engaging in simple conversations. The results highlight the potential of video modeling as an effective tool for teaching social skills to children with ASD.

Autism is an extensively multifaceted clutter. The core deficits in the areas of communication, social behavior, and excessive repetitive behavior could incline children with autism spectrum disorders to present problem behavior. Children with autism are misdiagnosed in Pakistan and majorities are placed in schools for children with mental retardation. Special education teachers are not fully trained to teach children with autism according to their needs. The objectives of the study were to develop language and social skills of children with autism in Pakistan and to measure the efficacy of Teaching Learning Resource (TLR) for children with Autism in Pakistan. Researchers have developed a TLR package which focused on visual based learning and applied with Pre –Post design (ABA) to determine the effectiveness of its usability. Researchers have selected two groups (experimental group N=5, control group N=5). Only the experimental group took three months (15 hours per week) training. The qualitative research methods such as portfolio assessment and case study method were used to report developmental changes while paired samples t-test was applied to measure the effectiveness of TLR package with regards to performance of the children with autism. The results of the study showed significant improvement in the socialization and communication skills of children in the experimental group. This study concludes that after proper adaptation, TLR package is likely to be successful in training autistic children in particular and children with developmental disabilities in general at various situations like home, in a classroom situation and in distance training program. Keywords - Special Education, Teaching Learning Resource Package for children with autism, Development of Language and social skills, Single subject design(ABA), Children with Autism in Pakistan.