Exploring Theatrical Expressive Tasks for Children With ASD

Summary

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), according to the diagnostic criteria of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- V Edition (DSM-5), is a disorder involving (a) persistent deficits in social communication, social interaction and (b) patterns of restricted and stereotyped behavior and/or interests and/or activities. Specifically, impairment in social interaction manifests itself in different areas of individual functioning and through various facets: social-emotional reciprocity, poor understanding of social rules, reduced sharing of interests, emotions or feelings, reduced or absent theory of mind, inability to initiate or respond to social interactions (turn-taking in conversation), and difficulties in the use of communication. Facial expressions, vocal intonation, postures and gestures are crucial components of non-verbal communication that play a fundamental role in social-communicative functions. However, people with ASD may show significant deficits in these forms of expression, negatively affecting the ability to generate an appropriate social response, which is essential for initiating and maintaining social interactions. Children with ASD tend to avoid eye contact with others and show little or no interest in people, often looking past them or away from them. This behavior contributes to presenting them as "markedly aloof and distant". The aim of the study is to explore the effect of specific expressive tasks, conducted by highly qualified personnel, in a group setting, by means of targeted theatrical activities. These activities include exercises focusing on the use of voice and posture, the variety of vocal intonations and the harmonization between verbal production and facial expressiveness. In the context of this study, 20 children will be involved, divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group will include 10 children with ASD who voluntarily participate in activities organized by the IRIB-CNR of Messina. These children, aged between 6 and 11 years, present a medium-high level of cognitive functioning, as assessed by the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children- IV Edition (WISC-IV) cognitive test. In parallel, the control group will consist of 10 normo-typical children, selected from the Istituto Comprensivo San Francesco di Paola of Messina, having the same age group, who will not participate in the experimental activities.

Conditions

• Autism
• Autism Spectrum Disorder

Interventions

OTHER

Expressivity protocol for children with autism

The activities proposed by this protocol stimulate different expressive skills, which are often lacking in people with autism. For this reason, the protocol is based on the strengthening of the following skills: perception of the body in movement in the space (4 sessions), the expressiveness of the body in its entirety (4 sessions), breathing and the use of the voice to express emotions in relation to the environment (4 sessions), rhythm and movement, to develop motor coordination and the expressiveness of movements (4 sessions). The protocol consists of 16 sessions: a weekly group session lasting one hour.

OTHER

Expressivity protocol for non-autistic children

The activities proposed by this protocol stimulate different expressive skills. The protocol is based on the strengthening of the following skills: perception of the body in movement in space (4 sessions), the expressiveness of the body in its entirety (4 sessions), breathing and the use of the voice to express emotions in relation to the environment (4 sessions), rhythm and movement, to develop motor coordination and the expressiveness of movements (4 sessions). The protocol consists of 16 sessions: a weekly group session lasting one hour.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Messina, Italy

  collaborator OTHER

• Istituto per la Ricerca e l'Innovazione Biomedica

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Flavia Marino · Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB) - National Research Council (CNR)

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

6 Years

Max Age

11 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-05-01

Primary Completion

2025-06-30

Completion

2026-06-30

Countries

• Italy

Study Locations