Using Kidpower® Social Narratives to Teach Individuals with Autism about Bullying

• Main Author: Anderson, Chelsi
• Other Authors: Boesch, Miriam
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: University of North Texas 2020
• Subjects: Autism Spectrum Disorder; bullying; Kidpower; special education
• Online Access: https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1752405/

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at an increased risk to be victims of bullying due to the core characteristics of the disorder. Prior research has focused on understanding bullying from the perspectives of individuals with ASD, parents, and practitioners through interviews and questionnaires. However, limited evidence exists using interventions to teach individuals with ASD about how to identify and respond to bullying. This study employed Kidpower® bullying narratives to teach individuals with ASD how to identify and respond to various bullying scenarios. Kidpower was selected to provide practitioners with a pre-established curriculum to utilize, rather than creating materials for each student. A multiple probe design across three participants was utilized to (a) teach individuals with ASD how to identify and respond to bullying drawings on Kidpower narratives, and (b) add an experimental study to the limited literature base pertaining to strategies for teaching about bullying to individuals with ASD. A fourth participant was also included as a case study. Progress for all participants was measured using the percentage of correct responses to 10 questions. Three out of four participants reached the mastery criterion of 90% over two consecutive sessions. Sessions for the fourth participant concluded after seven intervention sessions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many modifications were made to the original study design including changing the wording of the dependent variable and using more simple stories. No modifications were made to the actual stories. This study indicates the Kidpower narratives are helpful in teaching individuals with ASD who also meet certain criteria based on verbal comprehension. However, additional information is necessary in order to assess understanding of bullying.