Establishment of Social Skills Training Group in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Effectiveness Analysis

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, and the presence of restricted, repetitive behavior and interests, affecting 1 in 68 children. Although atypical social deficits onset in early childhood, their social relationships with peers may remain a challenge or even worsen for individuals with ASD throughout the school years and beyond, as social contexts increase in complexity and pose higher social expectations.

Official Title
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Establishment of Social Skills Training Group in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Effectiveness Analysis

Conditions
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Autism Spectrum Disorder

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®)


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: aged 11-20 years, currently enrolled in school between the sixth grade of elementary school and the third year of high school with a clinical diagnosis of ASD from a licensed mental health or medical professional based on DSM-5 experiencing social difficulties as reported by parents in a structured intake interview scored ≧ 26 on the caregiver-reported Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), indicating clinical impairment associated with ASD demonstrating verbal fluency in Chinese with a full-scale IQ > 70 on WAIS-IV with motivation to participate in the intervention; with a caregiver who was fluent in Chinese and willing to participate as a social coach in the study. Exclusion Criteria: a history of major mental illness (e.g., bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia, or psychosis) or neurological diseases that might hinder participation in the treatment visual impairment and/or hearing impairment that would preclude participation in group-based social activities.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 11 Years
Maximum Age: 20 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: ASD teens and their caregiver<br>Teens: (1) aged 11-20 years, currently enrolled in school between the sixth grade of elementary school and the third year of high school; (2) with a clinical diagnosis of ASD from a licensed mental health or medical professional based on DSM-5; (3) experiencing social difficulties as reported by parents in a structured intake interview; (4) scored ≧ 26 on the caregiver-reported Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), indicating clinical impairment associated with ASD (5) demonstrating verbal fluency in Chinese (6) with a full-scale IQ > 70 on WAIS-IV; (7) with motivation to participate in the intervention; (8) with a caregiver who was fluent in Chinese and willing to participate as a social coach in the study. Parents: (1) demonstrating verbal fluency in Chinese (2) with motivation to participate in the intervention and assist their children to do the homework assignments. | Behavioral: Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®)<br>* developed at the University of California, Los Angeles (E. A. Laugeson & F. Frankel, 2010). This is a parent-assisted, manualized social skills training program that addresses crucial areas of social functioning for adolescents. Psycho-education and cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques are employed to help adolescents develop ecologically valid skills for making and maintaining friendships.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) | Interview with caregiver of autistic participants. Total of 93 items coding from 1 to 9. Higher the score, worse the syptom | 7 weeks | 
| The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) | Observe the autistic participant during the interview. the examinee's condition is classified as autism spectrum if the combined score across two domains of social interaction and communication is ≥7, and as autism if the combined score is ≥12. In Module 2, a combined score of ≥8 corresponds to autism spectrum, and a combined score of ≥12 corresponds to autism | 7 weeks | 
| Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) | 50 statement scoring from 1 to 4. higher the score, worse the syptom | 7 weeks | 
| Friendship Quality Scale (FQS) | 23 questions scoring from 1 to 5. Higher the score, better the quality of friendship | 7 weeks | 
| The Assessing Emotions Scale (AES) | score range from 33 to 165. higher the score, better the emotional intelligence | 7 weeks | 
| Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) | 65 questions range from 1 to 4. higher the score, worse the symptom. | 7 weeks | 
| Social Adjustment Inventory for Children and Adolescents (SAICA) | 17 scenarios scoring from 1 to 4. Higher the score, better the capability | 7 weeks | 
| Quality of Play Questionnaire (QPQ) | 10 questions scoring from 0 to 3. Higher the score, worse the quality of play. Also, asked for frequency and number of participant in the play | 7 weeks | 
| Test of Adolescents Social Skills Knowledge (TASSK) | score range from 0 to 22. Higher the score, greater the knowledge of taught social skills | 7 weeks | 
| Empathy Quotient (EQ) | 60 questions score from 0 to 3. Higher the score, greater the empathy | 7 weeks | 
| Friendship Questionnaire (FQ) | score from 0 to 135. higher the score, the more enjoyment of friendship | 7 weeks |