SynthesisFrontiers in psychology2026
The impact of dance/movement psychotherapy on social skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: a meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Abstract
Purpose: This study conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of Dance/Movement Psychotherapy (DMP) on social skills in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Although DMP has been widely applied as an embodied and relational intervention, quantitative evidence regarding its impact on social functioning remains limited. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed across major databases (PubMed and PsycNet) to identify studies published between 2000 and 2025. Eligible studies examined DMP-based interventions targeting social skills in individuals with ASD and included a comparison group. Four studies ( Results: The meta-analysis revealed a significant overall effect of DMP on social skills (Hedges' g = -0.97, 95% CI: -1.69 to -0.25), indicating substantial improvement compared with control conditions. Because higher scores on commonly used measures such as the Social Responsiveness Scale reflect greater social impairment, negative effect sizes signify enhanced social skills. Moderate heterogeneity was observed across studies ( Conclusion: The findings provide preliminary quantitative evidence suggesting that DMP may contribute to improvements in social skill-related outcomes in individuals with ASD. However, the small number of available studies and indications of publication bias warrant cautious interpretation. Further high-quality randomized studies with standardized outcome measures are needed to strengthen the evidence base for DMP in ASD interventions.
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