Use of a Sensing Device to Visualizes Group Participation in Social Skills Learning Groups

• Main Authors: Tomoka Yamamoto, Hiroko Okuno, Aika Tatsumi, Saeko Sakai, Ikuko Mohri, Masako Taniike
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-04-01
• Series: Frontiers in Psychiatry
• Subjects: autism spectrum disorder; social skills intervention; group participation; visualizing behaviors; social network
• Online Access: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.642949/full

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have difficulties in developing stable peer relationships. Interventions for learning social skills (SS) for such children are often conducted in a group. Behavioral imaging and social imaging, which have been called for in recent years, are methods for visualizing children's behaviors and interpersonal relationships. To examine the usefulness of visualizing face-to-face interaction with others in the social skills learning scene of children with ASD, we use a business microscope that can qualify and visualize face-to-face interactions automatically. We highlight two boys' face-to-face interaction changes in the same SS learning group of five children. The device's use may provide a more objective measurement that complements the observer's subjective evaluation in case of the intervention's validation. It is expected that information on face-to-face interactions will be used to determine the SS learning process in the future.