Comparing the Effectiveness of Puppet Psychodrama and Pantomime on Social Interaction in Children with High-Functioning Autism

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with problems in social interaction. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of puppet psychodrama and pantomime on social interaction in children with ASD.

We performed a quasi-experimental study in 7-11 year-old children (n=45) with high functioning ASD. They were selected from the Welfare Centers of Tehran, Isfahan, Guilan, and Mashhad Provinces in 2020-2021 school year using convenience sampling. The participants were assigned into two experimental groups (puppet psychodrama or pantomime) and one control group (n=15 per group). The two experimental groups separately participated in 20 virtual sessions (twice a week; 15 minutes per session) and received puppet psychodrama or pantomime, while the control group only participated in mainstream programs of the Center. The social interaction of all participants were evaluated using the Autism Social Skills Profile before and after the intervention and after eight weeks. Descriptive indices were used and Chi-square, Shapiro-Wilk test, Mauchly’s sphericity test, and the Repeated measures ANOVA were applied for data analysis.

The eta-quotients showed that both puppet psychodrama and pantomime significantly changed social interaction (88% and 78%, respectively) and its components, including social reciprocity (88% and 78%, respectively), social participation (89% and 81%, respectively), and detrimental social behavior (87% and 76%, respectively) (both P<0.001). The puppet psychodrama compared to pantomime led to 37% of variation in social interaction. The findings indicated that the control group did not change significantly over time (P>0.05).

Considering the effectiveness of puppet psychodrama, it can be used as an alternative method along with other family-oriented interventions and prevent the consequences of social interaction problems.