Influence of Child Sex on Cognitive and Social Skills of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Within Thematic-Play and Storytelling Interventions in Lagos
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65820/ejes-2vol2-issue1-2026Keywords:
Autism Spectrum Disorder, child sex, cognitive skills, social skills, quasi-experimental designAbstract
Purpose: This study investigated the influence of child sex on the cognitive and social skills of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) within thematic-play and storytelling intervention strategies in Lagos, Nigeria.
Methodology: The study adopted a pre-test-post-test, control group quasi-experimental design derived from a 3×2×3 factorial framework. A total of 30 children aged 5–10 years with mild to moderate ASD were purposively selected from six special schools across three local government areas in the Lagos-East Senatorial District. Participants were assigned to two experimental groups (thematic-play and storytelling) and a control group (conventional teaching). Data were collected using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and the Cognitive and Social Skill Test (COSST). Hypotheses were tested using Quade’s Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at a 0.05 level of significance.
Results: Findings revealed that child sex had no significant main effect on cognitive skills acquisition among children with ASD. Similarly, no statistically significant effect was found for social skills, although females recorded marginally higher post-test gains. Overall, both male and female participants responded similarly to the intervention strategies.
Novelty and Contribution: This study contributes to the limited body of empirical research in Nigeria by examining sex as a moderator of ASD intervention outcomes. It provides context-specific evidence that challenges assumptions of gender-based differences in cognitive and social development among children with ASD within structured learning environments.
Practical and Social Implications: The findings suggest that educators and practitioners should prioritise individualised and inclusive instructional strategies rather than gender-based expectations when designing interventions for children with ASD. This has implications for curriculum development, teacher training, and inclusive education policies aimed at improving learning and social outcomes for children on the autism spectrum.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Seun Sulaiman Folorunsho, Opeyemi Shoaga, Taiwo Edun (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
