The Use of Theatre to Develop Social and Communication Behaviors for Students with Autism

Authors

Suzanne Reading, Butler UniversityFollow
James Reading
Robert J. Padgett, Butler UniversityFollow
Samantha Reading
Pete Pryor

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2015

Publication Title

Journal of Speech Pathology & Therapy

DOI

10.4172/jspt.1000102

Abstract

Social and communication behaviors are often a focus of instruction for individuals with autism. A theatre rehearsal and production process is challenging and joyful work that nurtures the development of social and language skills. This study evaluated and described social and language behaviors for students with autism both before and after a 10-week theatre experience. The results indicated that, when compared with a control group, the students with theatre experiences had significant and positive changes in the development of social and language skills. Most particularly, these students had significant improvement in social responsiveness, acknowledgement of the perspective of others, and participation and cooperation. The theatre experiences led to positive changes in social and communication behaviors for students with autism.

Rights

Article by Suzanne Reading et al. originally published by OMICS Group under a Creative Commons Attribution License in Journal of Speech Pathology & Therapy, 2015, Volume 1, Issue 1. DOI: 10.4172/jspt.1000102.

Recommended Citation

Reading, Suzanne; Reading, James; Padgett, Robert J.; Reading, Samantha; and Pryor, Pete, "The Use of Theatre to Develop Social and Communication Behaviors for Students with Autism" (2015). Scholarship and Professional Work - Communication. 141.
https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/ccom_papers/141