Date of Graduation

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders

Advisor/Mentor

Frazier, Kimberly

Committee Member/Reader

Watson, Cynthia

Abstract

This study examined the pre- and post-test performance on the Social Skills Improvement Scale (SSiS) Student Forms between groups of male and female children (n=6) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged 6–13 years following 10 sessions of 15-minute engagements with the FaceSay computer program. Between the group of males with ASD and the group of females with ASD, there was no significant difference in the compared difference of scores for the Social Skills Scale between the male group (M=6.3333, SD=28.72862) and the female group (M=4.3333, SD=6.80686); t(4)=-0.117, p=0.912 following independent t-test analysis. Also, between these groups, there was no significant difference in the compared difference of scores for the Problem Behaviors Scale between the male group (M=-3.3333, SD=6.11010) and the female group (M=-6.6667, SD=5.85947); t(4)=-0.682, p=0.533. However, for this comparison of group performance on Problem Behavior Scales, the standardized effect size index, d, was found to be -0.557, indicating a medium-to-large effect. The greater difference between pre- and posttest Problem Behavior Scales scores in the group of female children with ASD in conjunction with the medium-to-large effect indicated by the standardized effect size could suggest that future investigations with larger samples may yield more significant results. This study yields preliminary evidence suggesting that when males and females with ASD engage with a computer program designed to develop various social skills, no statistically significant difference in social skill improvements between male and female is present.

Keywords

autism; social skills; social skills improvement system; sex differences

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