Advisory Committee Chair
Maria Hopkins
Advisory Committee Members
Caroline Richter
Kristi Guest
Laura Hansen
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
1-1-2025
Degree Name by School
Master of Science (MS) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
This study examines the potential of Toca Boca World, a creative play app, to enhance social skills and creative play in autistic and non-autistic children aged 4-13. As children's screen time continues to rise, particularly among autistic individuals, it is essential to examine the quality and impact of digital media. The study included 18 children (7 autistic, 11 non-autistic), who participated in eight 5-minute sessions, monitored remotely by caregivers. Social skills were assessed before and after the sessions, while creative play was measured via touch efficiency during the sessions. Enjoyment was also tracked through brief post-session surveys. Results showed significant improvement in social skills for both groups. Autistic children showed increased levels of assertion and decreases in problem behaviors. Non-autistic children showed significant social skills gains on both the Social Skills Rating System and Unstructured Social Skills Observation. While non-autistic children showed increases in creative play, autistic children did not show similar improvements. However, both groups maintained consistently high levels of enjoyment throughout the sessions. These findings highlight the potential of digital creative play apps to support social skill development in both autistic and non-autistic children. This study is the first to evaluate Toca Boca World, or any educational app, for its capacity to promote generalizable social skills or creative play skills, offering valuable insights for both developmental science and digital learning design.
Recommended Citation
Laboret, Braden, "An Exploratory Study into the Utility of Toca Boca's Creative Play Model in Enhancing Social Skills and Creative Play for Autistic and Non-Autistic Children" (2025). All ETDs from UAB. 6862.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/6862
Comments
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