Interventions For Developing Social Skills in Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by significant difficulties in social communication and interaction. Because the preschool period is a critical period during which social skills develop rapidly, identifying effective interventions for teaching social skills to children with ASD is of great importance from both developmental and educational perspectives. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine intervention programs implemented to improve social skills in preschool-aged children with ASD, to assess the effectiveness of these interventions, and to compare methodological approaches used in the literature.

For this study, national and international studies published between 2008 and 2025 were screened and analyzed according to the specified inclusion criteria. Findings indicate that the most frequently used interventions for teaching social skills are social stories, peer-mediated instruction, applied behavior analysis-based approaches, video modeling, naturalistic teaching methods, and play-based programs. A large portion of the reviewed studies found that the interventions had positive effects on the development of basic social skills such as social initiative, joint attention, turn-taking, emotion recognition, and social problem-solving. It is also noteworthy that peer-supported interventions and video modeling yield stronger results in terms of generalizability and retention.

However, significant limitations include the methodological heterogeneity of the studies, the often limited sample sizes, and the lack of long-term follow-up data. In conclusion, it can be said that structured and individualized social skills training programs in the early intervention period significantly support the social development of children with ASD; however, larger sample sizes, long-term, and experimental studies are needed for stronger evidence.