TOPIC: EFFECT OF DANCE MOVEMENT THERAPY (DMT) ON SOCIAL SKILLS AMONG CHILDREN WITH MODERATE AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

Abstract

Autism is a disorder that includes differences and challenges in social communication skills like receptive and expressive language development, fine motor and gross motor skills and children with autism. Autism is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, including deficits in social reciprocity, nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction and skills in developing, maintaining and understanding relationships. This aim to study the effect of Dance movement therapy (DMT) on social and communication skills among children with mild autism. The sample consisted of seven children, each having moderate level of autism and age ranging from 6 to 10 years were selected for improving social skills. The sample was taken from KIDZ LIFE AUTISM CENTER, Chandanagar. Both therapist and parent undergone forty five 60 minutes sessions of social skills training through Movement based intervention for three months. Before and after intervention, Vineland Adaptive Behavior scale (VABS-II) was administered to both of parents towards children with autism which included socialization domain three sub domains like interpersonal relationships. Play and leisure time, coping skills. The findings from Means, SD and paired t test revealed that 1) the effect of intervention in improving socialization domain like interpersonal relationships. Play and leisure time, coping skills sub domains were statistically significant. 3) There is a significant improvement in social skills among children with moderate autism (Dance movement therapy package program). The findings of the study further support the fact that Movement based intervention is an effective way of improving social skills among children with moderate autism spectrum disorder.