The Synergy of Group Therapy and Parental Support in Shaping the Social Responses of Children with Autism
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21154/asanka.v7i2.14729Keywords:
Behavior Analysis, Group Therapy, Parental Support, Social Response, Social ParticipationAbstract
Limited social responses are common among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These responses include eye contact, joint attention, responding to a name, and responding to peer overtures. The present study explores how group therapy based on applied behavior analysis (ABA) and parental support complement one another in shaping them. It also asks how far they lead toward social participation. Synergy, in this article, refers to complementary roles that emerge across the case narratives. It is not a measured interaction effect. A qualitative multiple case study followed five children with ASD (aged 6-10), their parents, and three therapists through a three-month group therapy program at a disability service institution in Indonesia. No child attended school. Acting solely as an observer, the researcher logged the four target behaviors in field notes. Interviews at three time points captured what parents and therapists observed at home, and therapy records provided documentation; thematic analysis, triangulation, and member checking guided interpretation. During sessions, observations revealed gains, such as increased eye contact and improved instruction following. Changes at home, for example, spontaneous responses to friends, came mainly from parent reports. Wider reported change was more common when home routines matched session content, yet one child showed the most consistent reported change under broad family support. The consistency with which support was applied was shaped by parental capacity and family circumstances. Because no comparison group exists, the findings describe patterns and not causal effects. Family-professional collaboration, extended to schools and communities, can help turn social responses into participation. Future studies should add standardized measures and children's own perspectives.
References
Abdillah, H. Z., Musslifah, A. R., & Purnomosidi, F. (2026). School well-being as an integrative biopsychosocial model: A decade of bibliometric and science mapping analysis. ASANKA: Journal of Social Science and Education, 7(1), 189–217. https://doi.org/10.21154/asanka.v7i1.14586
Adams, C. R., Barrio Minton, C. A., Hightower, J., & Blount, A. J. (2022). A systematic approach to multiple case study design in professional counseling and counselor education. Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision, 15(2). https://research.library.kutztown.edu/jcps/vol15/iss2/24/
Adeoye-Olatunde, O. A., & Olenik, N. L. (2021). Research and scholarly methods: Semi-structured interviews. Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, 4(10), 1358–1367. https://doi.org/10.1002/jac5.1441
Ainin, I. K., & Tabrin, N. N. I. (2024). Social acceptance among children with learning difficulties. ASANKA: Journal of Social Science and Education, 5(2), 187–204. https://doi.org/10.21154/asanka.v5i2.9784
Aldabas, R. (2020). Effectiveness of peer-mediated interventions (PMIs) on children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): A systematic review. Early Child Development and Care, 190(10), 1586–1603. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2019.1580275
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice-Hall.
Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive theory: An agentic perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.1
Bozkus-Genc, G., & Yucesoy-Ozkan, S. (2024). Efficacy of a parent-implemented Pivotal Response Treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 54(11), 3992–4005. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-023-06113-4
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021a). One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis? Qualitative Research in Psychology, 18(3), 328–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2020.1769238
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021b). To saturate or not to saturate? Questioning data saturation as a useful concept for thematic analysis and sample-size rationales. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 13(2), 201–216. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1704846
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press.
de Korte, M. W. P., van Dongen-Boomsma, M., Oosterling, I. J., Buitelaar, J. K., & Staal, W. G. (2022). Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) parent group training for young children with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study. Scientific Reports, 12, Article 7691. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-10604-2
Eckes, T., Buhlmann, U., Holling, H.-D., & Möllmann, A. (2023). Comprehensive ABA-based interventions in the treatment of children with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry, 23(1), Article 133. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022-04412-1
Faroch, I. A., Ramaningrum, G., & Marfu'ati, N. (2024). Hubungan pendidikan, pekerjaan, dan pola asuh orang tua terhadap perkembangan motorik kasar dan personal sosial anak autis. Sari Pediatri, 26(1), 16–22. https://doi.org/10.14238/sp26.1.2024.16-22
Gengoux, G. W., Abrams, D. A., Schuck, R., Millan, M. E., Libove, R., Ardel, C. M., Phillips, J. M., Fox, M., Frazier, T. W., & Hardan, A. Y. (2019). A Pivotal Response Treatment package for children with autism spectrum disorder: An RCT. Pediatrics, 144(3), Article e20190178. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-0178
Hardan, A. Y., Gengoux, G. W., Berquist, K. L., Libove, R. A., Ardel, C. M., Phillips, J., Frazier, T. W., & Minjarez, M. B. (2015). A randomized controlled trial of Pivotal Response Treatment Group for parents of children with autism. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 56(8), 884–892. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12354
Herlina. (2018). Pengembangan program intervensi mandiri untuk meningkatkan keterampilan sosial anak penyandang autism spectrum disorder [Doctoral dissertation, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia]. https://repository.upi.edu/33713/
Martinez, J. R., Waters, C. L., Conroy, M. A., & Reichow, B. (2021). Peer-mediated interventions to address social competence needs of young children with ASD: Systematic review of single-case research design studies. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 40(4), 217–228. https://doi.org/10.1177/0271121419839136
McCarthy, E., & Guerin, S. (2022). Family-centered care in early intervention: A systematic review of the processes and outcomes of family-centred care and impacting factors. Child: Care, Health and Development, 48(1), 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12901
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Motulsky, S. L. (2021). Is member checking the gold standard of quality in qualitative research? Qualitative Psychology, 8(3), 389–406. https://doi.org/10.1037/qup0000215
Qistina. (2025). Analisis peran orang tua dalam meningkatkan kemampuan interaksi sosial anak autisme. Al-Irsyad: Jurnal Bimbingan Konseling Islam, 7(2), 201–218. https://jurnal.uinsyahada.ac.id/index.php/Irsyad/article/view/18156
Ragaglia, B., Trovato, I., & Bulgarelli, D. (2026). Peer-mediated social skills interventions in primary school settings for autistic children in the light of the ICF bio-psycho-social model: A systematic review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 56, 1074–1097. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06604-y
Reid, M., Fesalbon, M., Mendoza, E., Alvord, M. K., & Rich, B. A. (2019). Examining the relationship between parental symptomatology and treatment outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(11), 4681–4685. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04151-5
Rizki, M., & Wagino. (2026). Conceptual-practical disparities in inclusive education: An analysis of school principals' and teachers' competencies in Indonesia. ASANKA: Journal of Social Science and Education, 7(1), 141–161. https://doi.org/10.21154/asanka.v7i1.13652
Schlunegger, M. C., Zumstein-Shaha, M., & Palm, R. (2024). Methodologic and data-analysis triangulation in case studies: A scoping review. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 46(8), 611–622. https://doi.org/10.1177/01939459241263011
Sujarwo, H., Wan Jusoh, W. N. H., & Mazid, S. (2026). Fulfillment of the rights of tourists with disabilities in Dieng tourism destinations based on Indonesian positive law. ASANKA: Journal of Social Science and Education, 7(1), 25–38. https://doi.org/10.21154/asanka.v7i1.11199
Tobing, M. E., & Napitupulu, R. H. M. (2023). Analisis hubungan pola asuh orang tua terhadap kemandirian anak dengan spektrum autism (ASA) pada PAUD Biru Bangsa. Jurnal Pelita PAUD, 7(2), 257–264. https://doi.org/10.33222/pelitapaud.v7i2.3016
Trembath, D., Gurm, M., Scheerer, N. E., Trevisan, D. A., Paynter, J., Bohadana, G., Roberts, J., & Iarocci, G. (2019). Systematic review of factors that may influence the outcomes and generalizability of parent-mediated interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Research, 12(9), 1304–1321. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2168
Warsini, W. (2023). Reading questions and work (BTK) strategy with a portfolio model to improve learning of history subjects for children with special needs (ABK) at SMA Negeri 4 Sidoarjo. ASANKA: Journal of Social Science and Education, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.21154/asanka.v4i1.5776
Watling, R., Benevides, T., & Robertson, S. M. (2023). Family-centered interventions for children on the autism spectrum (2013–2021). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77(Suppl. 1), Article 7710393210. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2023.77S10021
White, J., McGarry, S., Falkmer, M., Scott, M., Williams, P. J., & Black, M. H. (2023). Creating inclusive schools for autistic students: A scoping review on elements contributing to strengths-based approaches. Education Sciences, 13(7), Article 709. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13070709
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Zhang, B., Liang, S., Chen, J., Chen, L., Chen, W., Tu, S., Hu, L., Jin, H., & Chu, L. (2022). Effectiveness of peer-mediated intervention on social skills for children with autism spectrum disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Translational Pediatrics, 11(5), 663–675. https://doi.org/10.21037/tp-22-110
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Yunita Hadi, Ahsan Romadlon Junaidi, Ediyanto
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
