Year of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Name

Speech-Language Pathology

Department or School/College

School of Speech, Language, Hearing, and Occupational Sciences

Committee Chair

Jennifer Schoffer Closson, Ed D, CCC-SLP

Commitee Members

Haley Permar M.S CCC-SLP, Morgen Alwell PhD

Keywords

autism, social proverb, generalization, clinical intervention

Subject Categories

Communication Sciences and Disorders | Medicine and Health Sciences | Speech Pathology and Audiology

Abstract

Currently,  1 in 36 individuals are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is characterized by social communication differences and restricted and/or repetitive behaviors. Many children with ASD also present with sensory, behavioral, and emotional differences, underscoring the need for specialized, evidence-based interventions. Social proverb is a novel intervention approach developed by Dr. Schoffer Closson that provides in-the-moment guidance by explicitly stating expected social behaviors and the rationale behind them (e.g., “We cover our coughs, so we don’t spread germs”). To date, no research has examined the use of social proverbs as an intervention strategy. The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to explore the implementation and perceived utility of social proverb use when implemented with children with ASD. This qualitative case study was conducted within a summer intensive program for children with ASD where graduate student clinicians in speech-language pathology, under the supervision of licensed speech-language pathologists, provided direct services in individual, group, clinical, and community-based settings. Three graduate student clinicians and three supervising speech-language pathologists participated in the study. Audio recordings of clinicians were collected to examine the frequency and diversity of social proverb use. Post-intervention interviews were conducted to explore clinicians’ perspectives on social proverbs as an intervention tool. Data analysis included descriptive statistics of audio-recorded social proverb use, as well as thematic analysis of post-intervention interviews. Findings indicated variability in both the frequency, function, and contextual use of social proverbs across clinicians and settings. Themes from clinician interviews suggested that social proverbs were perceived as customizable, effective, and valuable teaching tool that were easily generalizable to multiple settings. Clinicians also noted quick improvements for increasing safety, positive social behavior, and following peer models. This study lays the groundwork for further understanding of implementation and effectiveness of social proverbs.

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© Copyright 2026 Emma K. Hinds