Home⇛Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal⇛vol. 42 no. 9 (2025)

Reward System: Effects on the Social Communication Skills of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Salvie Marie Gutierrez

Discipline: others in psychology

 

Abstract:

This study probed the efficacy of a reward system on improving the social communication abilities of ASD children who were applying in the Special Education program in Lapu-Lapu City Central Elementary School for School Year 2024–2025. Using a multiple-case pre-experimental design, the study tracked ten children aged 7 to 13, before and after the reward-based intervention. Measurements were obtained through direct observation, teacher and parent ratings, and a modified social communication checklist that included items addressing nonverbal communication, conversation skills, and social interaction. There was significant improvement in the conversational skills, especially to initiate and maintain verbal conversations, but there were moderate and statistically nonsignificant gains in nonverbal and social communication skills. The research found that an effective reward system has a positive effect on verbal social communication, with more advanced skills needing longer and highly detailed interventions. More comprehensive instructional tool embracing positive reinforcement methods was recommended according to the results. The findings show the promise of reward-based interventions as an effective and feasible approach in facilitating the social development of children with ASD.



References:

  1. Adams, L. G. (2004). Social story intervention: Improving communication skills in a child with an autism spectrum disorder. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 19 (2), 87–94. https://doi.org/10.1177/10883576040190020301
  2. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing.
  3. American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/ethics-code-2017.pdf
  4. Baron-Cohen, S., Leslie, A. M., & Frith, U. (2001). Does the autistic child have a “theory of mind”? Cognition, 21  (1), 37–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0277(85)90022-8
  5. Cappadocia, M. C., Weiss, J. A., & Pepler, D. (2011). Bullying experiences among children and youth with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41 (3), 266–277. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-010-1037-0
  6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) . https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/signs.html
  7. Cherry, K. (2023). The incentive theory of motivation. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/the-incentive-theory-of-motivation-4173007
  8. Constantin, A. H. J. (2017). Designing computer-based rewards with and for children with autism spectrum disorder and/or intellectual disability. Computers in Human Behavior, 70 , 404–414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.12.067
  9. Exceptional Children. (n.d.). Ethical principles and practice standards. https://exceptionalchildren.org/standards/ethical-principles-and-practice-standards
  10. Friend, M., & Bursuck, W. D. (2018). Including students with special needs: A practical guide for classroom teachers (8th ed.). Pearson.
  11. Girolametto, L., & Weitzman, E. (2007). Using case study methods to investigate the effects of interactive intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Communication Disorders, 40 (6), 470–492. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2007.01.001
  12. Gutierrez. (2024). Effects of reward system on social communication skills of a child with autism spectrum disorder [Unpublished manuscript].
  13. Issa Alkinj, A. P. (2022). The effects of an educational program based on modeling and social stories on improvements in the social skills of students with autism. Heliyon, 8 (5), e09370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09370
  14. Jade. (2022). Using rewards. [Blog or online resource]. [Full citation details such as blog title, website name, and retrieval link needed].
  15. Lord, C., Petkova, E., & Dykens, E. (2020). Autism spectrum disorder: A review of the evidence for its diagnosis and treatment. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 59 (5), 487–496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2019.12.002
  16. Mastropieri, M. A., & Scruggs, T. E. (2020). The inclusive classroom: Strategies for effective differentiated instruction (6th ed.). Pearson.
  17. National Center on Educational Outcomes. (2021). Low-incidence disabilities. https://nceo.info/Resources/publications/OnlinePubs/LLC
  18. National Institute of Mental Health. (2021). Autism spectrum disorder. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/autism-spectrum-disorder-asd
  19. Paul, R., Sutherland, D., & Jellinek, M. S. (Eds.). (2016). Communication development and disorders in childhood. Brookes Publishing.
  20. Powell-Smith, F. J. (2008). Using computer-presented social stories and video models to increase the social communication skills of children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 10 (3), 162–178. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098300708316257
  21. Schmitz, N. R. (2008). Neural correlates of reward in autism. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 192, 19–24. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.107.045260
  22. Schroeder, J. H., & Cappadocia, M. C. (2014). Shedding light on a pervasive problem: A review of research on bullying experiences among children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44, 1520–1534. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-2011-8
  23. Silveira-Zaldivar, T., & Özdemir, G. (2021). Developing social skills and social interaction in children with autism: A review of interventions. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 13 (3), 341–363. https://doi.org/10.26822/iejee.2021331887
  24. Sutherland, D., & Paul, R. (2017). The effects of a reward system on the social initiations of children with ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47 (5), 1234–1245. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3066-4
  25. Volkmar, F. R., Siegel, M., Woodbury-Smith, M., King, B. H., McCracken, J. T., State, M., & American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (2014). Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 53 (2), 237–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2013.10.013
  26. What are the best practices for designing and implementing a performance-based reward system? (2023, August 25).  LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/advice/3/what-best-practices-designing-implementing-1e
  27. What do educators need to know about EBPs for children with autism? Foundational strategies. (n.d.). IRIS Center. https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/asd2/cresource/q1/p03/

Tools


Copyright © 2025  KITE Digital Educational Solutions |  Exclusively distributed by CE-Logic