Research Synopses: Adults with Autism Core deficits of autism include difficulty with social interactions and forming friendships. Individuals on the autism spectrum typically struggle with social relationships and play skills. Skills frequently in targeted in social skills interventions include initiating play, responding to questions or comments from others, turn taking in games and in conversation, and referential communication (Lindsay et al., 2017; Narzisi et al., 2021).

Lego-bricks are often a preferred play activity for children on the autism spectrum (LeGoff, 2004; LeGoff & Sherman, 2006). Researchers have examined the use of Lego-bricks as a potential material for use in interventions targeting social skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (Peckett et al., 2016; LeGoff, 2004; LeGoff & Sherman, 2006; Lindsay et al., 2017; Lee et al., 2023). The authors of the above studies describe a set of consistent procedures that were implemented during social groups. Building with the Lego set to complete the structure is a group activity in which there are three roles or jobs that require individuals to work together to complete the steps in the directions; the engineer who gives verbal descriptions of the pieces to be used in each step and directions for the assembly, the supplier who identifies the needed pieces and gives them to the builder, who then follows the verbal descriptions given by the engineer to build each successive step of the structure. Neither the supplier nor the builder see the instructions. Participants take turns fulfilling the three roles. An adult facilitator works with the group as needed to encourage communication, engagement. The goal of the protocol is to make the building session as interactive as possible by creating the need for sustained conversation, problem solving, and joint attention. These social skills groups are labeled in the literature as Lego®-based therapy (LeGoff, 2004; LeGoff & Sherman; Lindsay et al., 2017).