I-SOCIALISE: Results from a cluster randomised controlled trial investigating the social competence and isolation of children with autism taking part in LEGO® based therapy ('Play Brick Therapy') clubs in school environments.
Barry Wright, Ellen Kingsley, Cindy Cooper and 18 others
PMID 36991578WHAT IT FOUND
LEGO therapy in schools showed a small, non-significant gain in teacher-rated social skills at 20 weeks.
The effect was larger in secondary schools and pupils with milder symptoms, but no difference remained at 52 weeks. It was safe and well-received by staff and pupils.
Key findings
01The primary outcome of social skills at 20 weeks showed a mean difference of 3.74 points on the SSIS, which was not statistically significant in the intention-to-treat analysis.
02Secondary analyses suggested a small positive effect at 20 weeks, particularly in pupils who attended at least six sessions, but this benefit did not sustain to 52 weeks.
03Exploratory subgroup analysis indicated potentially larger effects in secondary school pupils and those with lower autism severity scores, though the study was not powered for these comparisons.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The primary outcome was rated by teachers who were aware of which group the pupils were in, introducing potential bias. The study was not powered to detect differences in subgroups, so the finding that secondary school pupils or those with milder symptoms benefited more is exploratory. Attrition was higher in the control group (18%) than the intervention group (9%) at the 52-week follow-up. The sample was not culturally representative of the wider UK population. The 52-week follow-up coincided with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have impacted data collection and pupil wellbeing.
Declared interests
One co-applicant (Gina Gomez de la Cuesta) co-authored the LEGO-based therapy manual used in the trial. The authors declared no other conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the therapy is ineffective because the primary analysis was non-significant. The sensitivity analyses and secondary outcomes suggest a small positive effect in the short term, particularly for pupils who attended most sessions. However, do not overinterpret the subgroup findings for secondary schools or milder symptoms, as the trial was not powered for these comparisons.