Autism and the Performing Arts: Using BST to Teach Dance to Children with ASD

Behavioral skills training (BST) has been proven effective in helping children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) acquire new skills. Little research had been done to evaluate the effect of BST on the acquisition of sport skills within this population, and no research exists in regards to using BST to teach dance skills to individuals with ASD. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of BST for teaching dance steps to children diagnosed with ASD. This study used a multiple baseline across behaviors design. The dance movements that were targeted consisted of a tap step, a leap, and a turn. Skill acquisition was scored using a task analysis for each dance step to calculate percentage correct. This study found that the use of BST increased the percentage correct of each dance step from baseline levels in all three participants