Adolescent Social Skills Training Program
Condition: Asperger's Disorder; High-functioning Autism
MeSH terms: Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Asperger Syndrome
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study is a pre-test, post-test single group design with follow-up at month three.
      Twenty-four individuals total will participate in this study with 6 participants in each of 4
      cohorts. Participants and their parents will complete pre-test measures including both paper
      and pencil measures and a video-recording to assess the participant's social interaction
      skills and fluency. These adolescents will participate in both group therapy and peer
      generalization sessions once a week over the course of twelve weeks. Upon completion of the
      intervention, participants and parents will complete paper and pencil and video post-test
      measures. Participants will be encouraged to participate in one follow-up session where the
      paper and pencil and video measures will be completed again.
    

Detailed description: 
      After consent , has been obtained, parents will complete the Autism Disorders
      Interview-Revised (ADI-R; Rutter & LeCourteur, 1995) to determine eligibility and the
      Checklist for Autism Spectrum Disorder (Mayes & Calhoun, 1999), the Social Responsiveness
      Scale (SRS; Constantino, 2002), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ;
      Goodman, 1997) at the initial appointment with the study coordinator.

      After assent has been obtained, adolescents will complete the Kaufman Brief Intelligence
      Test, Second Edition (KBIT-2; Kaufman & Kaufman, 1990) to determine eligibility and the
      Checklist for Autism Spectrum Disorder (Mayes & Calhoun, 1999), the Strengths and
      Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman, 1997) and the Loneliness Scale (Asher & Wheeler,
      1985). Adolescents will also complete a standardized joint attention assessment.

      After the completion of the eligibility and pre-test interventions there will be a wash of
      participants who do not meet eligibility requirements.

      One week before the start of the program, participants will attend an introduction session to
      the program. At this time, participants will be filmed in a brief interaction with a
      typically developing peer that will be used as a baseline indicator of their social fluency.

      Participants will attend the social skills intervention program once a week for twelve weeks.
      Each week there will be approximately 90 minutes of group therapy which will be conducted
      like a seminar class: the principal investigator will teach and review social interaction
      skills and nuances, participants will be encouraged to take an active role in the class.

      During the twelve week intervention there will be three review/fluency building sessions:
      week four, week eight, and week twelve. The group therapy sessions for these review weeks
      will simply review the material that was covered during the prior three weeks. Participants
      will then practice what they have learned by having a conversation with a peer that will be
      taped.

      Following the group therapy session each week, participants will join six typically
      developing peers in a 90 minute introductory photography class taught by one of the study's
      co-investigators. The photography class will give the participants the opportunity to
      practice the skills learned in group therapy with their peer group.

      Participants will once again complete a battery of clinical and self-report outcome measures
      which will serve as the post-test measurements for the study. They will be filmed in a brief
      interaction with a typically developing peer which will be coded to obtain post-test social
      interaction skills and fluency scores. These evaluations will occur at completion of social
      skills program, and at three month follow-up.
    

Intervention name(s): Multi-Media Social Skills Training Program
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): All individuals will participate in a twelve week social skills training program designed to enhance the social skills of adolescents with Asperger's Disorder or high-functioning autism. The intervention is comprised of both group therapy and peer generalization.
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorder