Research on the intervention of Mandala drawing therapy for social interaction disorders in children with autism

Social communication disorder is a core impairment in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and is essential for establishing connections with the external world. This study aimed to explore the effects of Mandala drawing therapy on social interaction and communication skills in children with ASD. Twenty-three children with ASD from H Special School were assigned to an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group received Mandala drawing therapy with standard rehabilitation training for one month, while the control group only participated in standard rehabilitation training. The Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) was used to assess language, communication, and social skills before and after the intervention. Results showed that the experimental group exhibited greater within-group improvements in language, communication, and social skills compared with pre-test scores, whereas no statistically significant improvements were observed in the control group. No statistically significant between-group differences were detected post-intervention. These findings suggest that mandala drawing therapy, when used as an adjunct to standard rehabilitation, may contribute to within-group improvements in language and social communication skills, but no significant advantage over standard rehabilitation was observed.