Date of Award:

5-2025

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling

Committee Chair(s)

Thomas S. Higbee

Committee

Thomas S. Higbee

Committee

Audrey Hoffman

Committee

Casey Clay

Committee

Naima Bhana Lopez

Committee

Jessie Koltz

Abstract

Individuals with ASD often have difficulties communicating with peers and navigating social interactions (APA, 2022). Building these skills may help these individuals interact with peers, siblings, and others in the community. One area where individuals with ASD may need support is engaging in play. Specifically, in engaging in sociodramatic play (i.e., pretend play that involves role-playing aspects of real life). Traditionally, applied behavior analysis (ABA) and activity schedules are evidence-based approaches that have been used to teach play behaviors to individuals with ASD. However, few researchers have evaluated how a linked digital activity schedule can increase the sociodramatic play responding of young learners with ASD. Further, the extent to which this responding transfers to untaught play scenarios has not been evaluated. Thus, the purpose of this study is to further past research using linked digital activity schedule to teach sociodramatic play to preschool-aged children diagnosed with ASD and the determine the extent to which responding transfers to untaught play scenarios. One dyad of children successfully mastered the target sociodramatic play scenario but required several changes to their procedures. This same dyad also transferred their responding to three untaught sociodramatic play scenarios. The remaining two dyads of children did not meet our mastery criteria following several changes to our procedures. We highlight the limitations of the study and directions for future research.

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