Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025): Language and Culture in Education
Articles

The pedagogy of theater as a framework for developing communication skills and self-expression in students with ASD, with an emphasis on the study of ancient and modern literature

Paper
  • Georgia Lioni
Georgia Lioni
University-of-the-Aegean

Published 2025-05-21

Keywords

  • ASD,
  • communication,
  • skills,
  • theatre pedagogy,
  • self-expression

Copyright (c) 2025 Georgia Lioni (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Lioni, G. (2025). The pedagogy of theater as a framework for developing communication skills and self-expression in students with ASD, with an emphasis on the study of ancient and modern literature. Journal of Language and Culture in Education, 2(2), 56-65. https://doi.org/10.5281/ax6v2147

Abstract

The pedagogical approach of theater serves as a powerful tool for enhancing communication and
self-expression in students, particularly those on the autism spectrum (ASD) (Corbett & Asher, 2017).
The integration of theatrical activities with teaching methods significantly contributes to the creation
of a learning environment that promotes social interaction, emotional expression, and imaginative
development. This approach proves particularly effective in the study of Ancient and Modern Literature,
as it allows students to explore literary works in an experiential and multisensory manner (Corbett &
Houchins-Juarez, 2018).Students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often face challenges
in social interaction, understanding metaphors, expressing emotions, and collaborating with others.
Through acting, imitation, improvisation, and participation in dialogic scenes, students are encouraged
to delve deeper into literary narratives, analyze characters’ emotions, and develop greater fluency in their
communication skills (Barton, 2006). The pedagogical approach of theater is not merely an additional
educational method but an effective mechanism for strengthening the linguistic, social, and emotional
abilities of students with ASD.Furthermore, through the theatrical representation of literary works,
students develop a deeper and more meaningful connection with knowledge, improve their ability to
interact with their environment, and discover ways to express their emotions and thoughts with greater
clarity and creativity (Barton, 2006). Based on the above, the purpose of this study is to collect and analyze
scientific articles and bibliographic data related to the interpretation and discussion of the role of theater
pedagogy as a framework for developing communication skills and self-expression in students with ASD,
with a particular emphasis on Ancient and Modern Literature

Paper

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

  1. Barton, L. (2006). Δράμα και ανάπτυξη δεξιοτήτων επικοινωνίας σε παιδιά με διαταραχή αυτιστικού φάσματος. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36 (2), 231
  2. Corbett, B. A., & Abdullah, M. (2015). Video modeling: Why does it work for children with autism? Journal of Early and Intensive Behavior Intervention, 5(2), 20-28.
  3. Corbett, B. A., & Asher, S. (2017). A pilot study of a theatre intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism, 21(2), 221-232.
  4. Corbett, B. A., & Gunther, J. R. (2019). Brief report: Theatre as therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(6), 2538-2545.
  5. Corbett, B. A., & Gunther, J. R. (2020). Theatre-based intervention for improving social competence in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(6), 2152-2164.
  6. Corbett, B. A., & Houchins-Juarez, N. (2018). Video modeling: A window into the world of autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(3), 789-799.
  7. Corbett, B. A., Key, A. P., Qualls, L. R., Fecteau, S. M., Newsom, C., Coke, C., & Yoder, P. (2016). Improvement in social competence using a randomized trial of a theatre intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(2), 658-672.
  8. García Winner, M., & Crooke, P. J. (2018). Social thinking: A training program for developing social understanding and communication skills. Journal of Communication Disorders, 72, 25-34.
  9. Goldstein, H. (2002). Ο ρόλος του δράματος στη διδασκαλία των επικοινωνιακών δεξιοτήτων σε παιδιά με αυτισμό. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32
  10. Guli, L. A., Semrud-Clikeman, M., Lerner, M. D., & Britton, N. (2016). Social competence intervention program (SCIP): A pilot study of a creative drama program for youth with social difficulties. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 47, 1-9.
  11. Hyman, SL (2013). Το νέο DSM-5 περιλαμβάνει αλλαγές στα κριτήρια για τον αυτισμό. Ειδήσεις AAP . (http ://www.ένα.aapublications .org) ( προσπελάστηκε 15/1/2025).
  12. Oikonomou, N., & Papadopoulos, I. (2024). Literacy of Communication in Early Childhood Education: Investigating communication strategies in Greece. European Journal of Education Studies 11(7), 26-51.
  13. Osae, C., & Papadopoulos, I. (2024). Delving into Educators’ Perspectives and Practices in Second Language Teaching Contexts: Differentiated Instruction in the Spotlight. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 6(3), 294–325. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v6i3.6565.
  14. Papadopoulos, I. (2020). From translanguaging pedagogy to classroom pedagogy: Supporting literacy, communication and cooperative creativity. Thessaloniki: Disigma Publications.
  15. Papadopoulos, I., & Hathaway, T. (2024). Multilingual Early Childhood Education: Modern Approaches and Research. New York: NOVA Science Publishers
  16. Papadopoulos, Is., & Osae, Ch. (2024). A Comparative Study on Dialogic Communication Strategies of Preschoolers in Greece and Rwanda. International Journal of Linguistics, 16(3), 98 - 131
  17. Peter, M. (1994) Drama for All. Developing Drama in the Curriculum with Pupils with Special Educational Needs. London, DavidFulton.
  18. Reddy, LA, & Uljarevic, M. (2017). Χρησιμοποιώντας την παρέμβαση με βάση το θέατρο για παιδιά με διαταραχή αυτιστικού φάσματος. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47 (8), 2505-2518.
  19. Schneider, J., & Goldstein, H. (2017). Using social stories and drama activities to teach social skills to young children with autism. Journal of Early Intervention, 39(3), 203-217.
  20. Williams, B. (2009). Εκπαίδευση κοινωνικών δεξιοτήτων με χρήση θεάτρου για παιδιά με διαταραχή αυτιστικού φάσματος. Journal of Applied Theatre and Performance, 14 (2), 205-217.
  21. Κοκκίδου, Β. (2015). Θεατρική Διδασκαλία και Λογοτεχνία: Η ανάπτυξη των Ερμηνευτικών Δεξιοτήτων των Μαθητών.