Naturalistic Programs for Social Skills and Communication in Babies and Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder - a Review of the Literature

Abstract

This article identified the scientific studies on naturalistic intervention programs in social and communication skills for babies and toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in international journals. The present study shows that naturalistic intervention programs for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were effective in improving their performance in Social and Communication Skills. Naturalistic contexts are where interactions take place and can be modelled as ideal settings for intervention. These interventions minimize or neutralize the effects of ASD on the child's developmental path. In this sense, the importance of mediation/interaction is highlighted. Although clinical outcomes are important for understanding the development of children with ASD, they are not able to reproduce the systematicity necessary for delays in social behaviour and communication to be minimized.