Flashbacks and Friendships: How Autobiographical Memory Can Be Used to Foster Social Learning

There is a rising prevalence of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the current status quo. Autism Spectrum Disorder is known for causing issues in social functioning for children who are affected by the disorder, so it is necessary to identify best practices when it comes to social learning for said children. Differences in the use of memory have often been identified when looking at children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in comparison to their typically developing peers, as their autobiographical memory seems to be diminished. The present study involves a meta analysis of 14 autobiographical memory recall methods as well as social learning methods that have been proven to work for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Through the use of an Ex-Post Facto research method, 14 methods were narrowed down to just two: the most compatible and highly effective autobiographical memory recall method and social learning method. The findings suggest that the use of images from the perspective of the child showing the child being placed in social situations will be an effective method to facilitate social learning through autobiographical memory recall. This method should increase detail and quantity of memories by 93% while increasing social behavior by over 7.5%, as taken from previously completed studies. This provides a way for children to build social connections in a way that is not otherwise possible.