Effectiveness of Occupational Therapy Interventions to Promote Social Participation in Children and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

A systematic review of the literature related to effective occupational therapy interventions on socialization for children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This review provides a comprehensive overview and discussion of 25 studies that addressed the variety of interventions that can be used when targeting social skills including sensory integration, animal-assisted interventions, technology, play, school-based, and caregiver-assisted interventions. The findings reveal that the use of these interventions is clinically significant yet there is limited evidence to support generalizability to the population. This review supports the premise that children and adolescents with ASD who experience socialization challenges as compared to typically developing peers can improve their social skills through these interventions.