A pairwise randomised control trial of a peer-to-peer play-based intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to improve social play skills and pragmatic language.

The intervention involves a peer-peer play-based intervention involving self-, therapist, and peer modelling. All intervention sessions will be video-recorded to facilitate self-modelling. The researcher will begin each clinic session by showing the children video footage of themselves playing from the previous week. During the self-modelling, children will observe and reflect on edited video footage of their social play from the previous week. The researcher will use video feedback techniques by discussing the segments of their past play performance. The researcher will then use video feed-forward techniques by facilitating a problem solving discussion with the children, helping them to develop strategies to pre-empt the changes required for future social skill development to occur. To conclude, the researcher will present the children with three key summary points as they enter the playroom to remember and pre-empt play. The parent/caregiver will observe these sessions through use of a computer monitor in an adjoining room. The researcher will discuss the techniques they used with the caregiver to ensure skills transfer. The duration between treatments for the treatment and control group is 3 months. The intervention involves a clinic component which includes 1x1 hour session per week for 10 weeks and a home component which involves 1x1 hour session per week for 10 weeks.