Development of Intraverbal Communication Skills in Communication Groups for Children of Primary School Age with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

The development of intraverbal communication skills in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is usually associated with significant difficulties in the acquiring of communicative roles. Based on the experience of practical work, the author’s method «Whirligig of Questions» was developed. The approbation of the method was carried out on a group of 11-years old children (n=8) having ASD, without significant intellectual disorders. The research used case-study design, the example of a child who recently joined the class is given in the present article. The main goal was to develop the skill of intraverbal communication of the new student. At the beginning and at the end of the study, sociometric measurements and diagnostics of the child’s communication skills were carried out using the ABLLS-R. 10 group meetings were held, one per week. With the help of sociometry, the observation method and interview of teachers and parents, it was found that the use of the «Whirligig of Questions» technique made it possible not only to develop the skills of intraverbal communication in the student, but also to achieve the cohesion of the children’s team. This technique, after additional testing, can be recommended for practical use in educational institutions with children without intellectual disorders and with fairly well-developed speech skills.