A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder Teaches Siblings to Skateboard: Effects on Sibling Skills and Family Social Behavior

Abstract

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have few common activities with their siblings who do not have ASD, and this can limit their opportunities for social play. In this study, we used a multiple-baseline across skills design to assess the effects of a boy with ASD following an activity schedule to teach his favorite activity of skateboarding to his two siblings who do not have ASD. Family social behavior was also measured before and after sibling training. After training by the boy with ASD, both of the siblings’ skateboarding skills improved, and measures of family social behavior also increased. Results suggest that sibling relationships may benefit when a child with ASD teaches siblings to play.

Keywords:

• Activity schedules
• autism spectrum disorder
• recreation
• sibling-mediated intervention
• social interaction

Acknowledgements

We thank W.V. Dube and the University of Massachusetts Medical School for providing the PinPoint Digital Video Coding and Analysis System software and Jesse E. Jordan for donating skateboards and protective equipment.

Ethical approval

All procedures in this study were in accordance with ethical standards of the institutional research review board and the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The authors report that there are no conflicts of interest.