Abstract
This study examined the effectiveness of a school-based, collaborative technology intervention
combined with cognitive behavioral therapy to teach the concepts of social collaboration and
social conversation to children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (n = 22) as well
as to enhance their actual social engagement behaviors (collaboration and social conversation)
with peers. Two computer programs were included in the intervention: “Join-In” to teach
collaboration and “No-Problem” to teach conversation. Assessment in the socio-cognitive area
included concept perception measures, problem solving, Theory of Mind, and a dyadic drawing
collaborative task to examine change in children’s social engagement. Results demonstrated
improvement in the socio-cognitive area with children providing more active social solutions to social problems and revealing more appropriate understanding of collaboration and social conversation after intervention, with some improvement in Theory of Mind. Improvement in actual social engagement was more scattered.

Autism, 17, 317-339. DOI: 10.1177/1362361312472989