Clinical impact of the Development of Communication Skills in Autism (DHACA) on the development of social skills in children with autism.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical impact of the DHACA® method on the development of social skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

METHODS

This longitudinal quantitative intervention study conducted with 23 children with ASD, aged 3 to 6 years, who were nonverbal or minimally verbal. Individual intervention sessions using the DHACA® method were held weekly for 20 weeks. Social skills were assessed before and after the intervention using the ACOTEA-R protocol. Data were statistically analyzed using the Wilcoxon test.

RESULTS

There was a significant improvement (p < 0.05) in ten of the sixteen skills assessed, including "responds to name," "eye contact," "shared attention," and "symbolic play." Other skills, such as "responds to 'no'" and "takes turns," showed a tendency toward clinical improvement, although not statistically significant. Only three skills did not show relevant progress.

CONCLUSION

The DHACA® method proved effective in promoting social skills in children with ASD, contributing to greater autonomy and social participation. The results reinforce its clinical potential as a therapeutic resource in both educational and healthcare settings.