Study: Shakespeare play helps children with autism communicate

Study: Shakespeare play helps children with autism communicate
Shakespeare takes center stage in a novel intervention for children with autism. A new study from the Nisonger Center at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center shows children with autism had improved communication and language skills after 10 weeks of Shakespeare classes. Credit: Big Ten Network

A new study showed improvement in the social and communication skills of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using a signature approach pairing the recitation of Shakespeare's rhythmiclanguage with physical gesture.

Children with ASD often have trouble understanding non-verbal behavior in social interactions and struggle to communicate. Many avoid and miss visual cues, making it difficult to maintain peer relationships andshare enjoyment of mutual interests.

Results, published recently in the journal Research and Practice in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities,showed better language skills and recognition of facial expressions in with ASD.

"At the end of the study, which incorporated Shakespeare's play The Tempest, children with autism showedsignificant improvement in their social skills and their ability to engage in social relationships," said Marc J. Tassé,professor of psychology and psychiatry and director of the Nisonger Center at The Ohio State University WexnerMedical Center.

Fourteen children with ASD were enrolled for the only systematic implementation of a dramabased social skillsintervention known as the "Hunter Heartbeat Method," created by Kelly Hunter, an actress in the Royal ShakespeareCompany in London. The novel therapeutic approach was designed to improve social interaction, pragmaticlanguage and facial-emotion recognition skills of individuals with ASD.

In an effort to help children with autism communicate more effectively, researchers are turning to an unlikely figure.They're putting Shakespeare center stage in a novel approach to group therapy ­ and a new studylooking into the approach is getting rave reviews. Credit: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

"These children are taught these core skills in a very relaxed and playful environment, where it's almost like they'renot aware they're being taught," said Tassé, also coauthor of the study.

Each session of the "Hunter Heartbeat Method" begins with the children quietly seated in a circle on the floor makinga "Hello Heartbeat" by tapping their hand on their chest. This allows them time to adapt to the environment andsignifies transition into the session. Facilitators then lead the children through a series of games based on the plot ofThe Tempest, which focus on skills such as facialemotion recognition, eye contact, gross motor imitation, affective imitation, pragmatics of dialogue exchange, personal space, turn taking, affective expression, humor, and socialimprovisation.

Initially, two facilitators model the game in the center of the circle? subsequently, facilitators and children break intotwosomes for onetoone repeated practice and retroactive feedback of the game. Facilitators and children then return to the circle where they take turns "performing" for the other participants. After a number of games, whichultimately reflect the plot progression of The Tempest, the "Hunter Heartbeat Method" intervention concludes with a"Goodbye Heartbeat."

"You interact with someone, you enjoy yourself and you get that intrinsic reinforcement of socializing children withautism don't always get to experience that," said Maggie Mehling, coauthor and psychology graduate assistant atOhio State.

Study: Shakespeare play helps children with autism communicate
A study finds that children with autism developed better communication and language skills after 10 weeks of Shakespeare acting classes. Credit: Big Ten Network

Pretest assessments were conducted to obtain baseline information for each child. The children participated in theintervention one hour per week after school for 10 weeks. At the conclusion of the study period, posttestassessments were completed, and parents and participants completed questionnaires regarding their impression ofthe intervention.

"It just blows me away every time I see how the kids are able to exceed all expectations with their ability to getengaged," Mehling said.

Citation: Study: Shakespeare play helps children with autism communicate (2016, October 11) retrieved 28 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-10-shakespeare-children-autism.html
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