Department of Educational Foundation and Counselling

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://repository.oouagoiwoye.edu.ng/handle/123456789/45

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End date: 2026Subject: search.filters.subject.social skill.

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    EFFECT OF THEMATIC-PLAY AND STORYTELLING ON THE COGNITIVE AND SOCIAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA
    (OLABISI ONABANJO UNIVERSITY, AGO-IWOYE OGUN STATE, 2026-06-19) folorunsho seun sulaiman
    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodivergent condition that causes deficiencies in socio-emotional, cognitive and behavioural skills. These often result in delay and difficulties attaining developmental milestones, including learning through typical routes and methods. In order to assist children with autism mediate the effect of their congenital condition and learn better, this study investigated the effect of thematic-play and storytelling methodologies on the cognitive and social skills of children with autism spectrum disorder in Lagos, Nigeria. Using a 3x2x3 factorial matrix, this study adopted the pre-test, post-test, control group quasi-experimental research design. The study selected a sample of high functioning; verbal children aged 5- 10 years, with mild to moderate presentations of autism. Six schools were purposively selected from Lagos East Senatorial district relying on the outcome of the administration of CARS. Five children where eventually selected from each of the six schools. The Child Autism Rating Scale a standardized scale for classifying the severity of autism, with a coefficient reliability of 0.79. The Cognitive and Social Skills Test (COSST), with a reliability coefficient of 0.77 using the Cronbach Alpha, was also used for this study. Data generated from the study were analysed using the Quade Analysis of Covariance. The study found that there was a significant effect of treatment (F (2, 17) = 6.087; p< .05; η2 = .417) on social skills of participants. Participants in the storytelling group had the highest performance with a mean social skills score of 3.097, followed by those in the thematic play group with mean score of 1.677 while those in the control group had a mean score of -4.824. Also there was a significant two-way interaction effect of treatment and sex on the cognitive skills of participants (F (1, 17) = 5.777; p< .05; η2 = .254). Male participants in the thematic-play treatment group had a mean score of 1.942 males in the story telling group who had a mean score of 3.065, those in control group had a mean score of -.037. The female participants who were in the thematic-play treatment group had a mean score of 7.630, compared to those in the story telling treatment group who had a mean score of -1.658, while those in the control group who had a mean score of -9.211 The study concluded that gender of the children with ASD in Lagos, had an interaction effect on their cognitive performance. The female children taught with the thematic play tutoring strategy performed better than their male counterparts. However, the male children who were exposed to the storytelling strategy outperformed their female counterparts who were exposed to the play tutoring strategy and the conventional teaching methodology, especially regarding their performance in cognitive skill items. Therefore, the female children with ASD in Lagos State learn better when instructed using thematic/play tutoring strategy, while teaching concepts relating to cognitive skills. However, their male counterparts learn social skill items better when storytelling strategy is employed. It was recommended that; teachers adopt thematic play strategy in teaching children with autism, especially cognitive related themes of basic-literacy and numeracy. The government is also advised to provide adequate play materials for the teaching of cognitive related themes, especially to the female children with ASD. Private school owners are also implored to provide adequate and age appropriate play materials for the use of children in their schools.