Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2019-7
Social conversation skill improvements associated with the Social Tools And Rules for Teens program for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: Results of a randomized controlled trial
There has been a significant increase in the development of interventions to improve the social competence and success of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. The current investigation used direct observation and coding of social conversations as a rigorous method to further assess the efficacy of the Social Tools And Rules for Teens socialization intervention for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder in the context of a randomized controlled trial. A total of 35 adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder were randomized to either a treatment or waitlist control group. The 20-week group intervention took place once a week for 90 min per session. Brief video-recorded conversations between participants and unfamiliar, untrained peers were recorded at pre- and post-time points and coded for selected social behaviors (i.e. questions asked, positive facial expressions, and mutual engagement). Results revealed a significant Group × Time treatment effect for both questions asked and positive facial expressions. The findings support that the Social Tools And Rules for Teens intervention can positively impact specific, observable social behaviors through systematic coding of live social conversations within the context of a randomized controlled trial. This investigation is one of the first randomized controlled trials of a group socialization intervention to use systematic coding of live social conversations to assess social competence improvements.
American Psychiatric Association (APA) (2013) Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed.Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.
2.
BakemanR (2000) Behavioral observation and coding. In: ReisHTJuddCM (eds) Handbook of Research Methods in Social and Personality Psychology. New York: Cambridge University Press, pp.138–159.
3.
BieberichAAMorganSB (1998) Brief report: affective expression in children with autism or down syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders28(4): 333–338.
4.
BolteEEDiehlJJ (2013) Measurement tools and target symptoms/skills used to assess treatment response for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders43(11): 2491–2501.
5.
ChowCMRuhlHBuhrmesterD (2013) The mediating role of interpersonal competence between adolescents’ empathy and friendship quality: a dyadic approach. Journal of Adolescence36(1): 191–200.
6.
ConstantinoJNGruberCP (2005) Social Responsiveness Scale. Torrance, CA: Western Psychological Services.
7.
ConstantinoJNDavisSAToddRDet al. (2003) Validation of a brief quantitative measure of autistic traits: comparison of the social responsiveness scale with the autism diagnostic interview-revised. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders33(4): 427–433.
8.
CunninghamAB (2012) Measuring change in social interaction skills of young children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders42(4): 593–605.
9.
DekkerVNautaMHMulderEJet al. (2014) A randomized controlled study of a social skills training for preadolescent children with autism spectrum disorders: generalization of skills by training parents and teachers?BMC Psychiatry14(1): 189–203.
10.
DoggettRAKrasnoAMKoegelLKet al. (2013) Acquisition of multiple questions in the context of social conversation in children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders43(9): 2015–2025.
11.
DolanBKVan HeckeAVCarsonAMet al. (2016) Brief report: assessment of intervention effects on in vivo peer interactions in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders46(6): 2251–2259.
12.
FurrRFunderD (2007) Behavioral observation. In: Krueger RF and FraleyRC (eds) Handbook of Research Methods in Personality Psychology. New York: Guilford Press, pp.273–291.
13.
GatesJAKangELernerMD (2017) Efficacy of group social skills interventions for youth with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review52: 164–181.
14.
HartmannDPBarriosBAWoodDD (2004) Principles of behavioral observation. In: ThomasJCHersenM (eds) Comprehensive Handbook of Psychological Assessment, vol. 3. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, pp.108–127.
15.
HobsonRPLeeA (1998) Hello and goodbye: a study of social engagement in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders28(2): 117–127.
16.
JohnsonBTurnerLA (2003) Data collection strategies in mixed methods research. In: Tashakkori A, Teddlie C and TeddlieCB (eds) Handbook of Mixed Methods in Social & Behavioral Research. London: SAGE, pp.297–319.
17.
KasariC (2002) Assessing change in early intervention programs for children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders32(5): 447–461.
18.
KasariCRotheram-FullerELockeJet al. (2012) Making the connection: randomized controlled trial of social skills at school for children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry53(4): 431–439.
KoegelLKCamarataSMValdez-MenchacaMet al. (1998) Setting generalization of question-asking by children with autism. American Journal on Mental Retardation102(4): 346–357.
22.
KoegelLKKoegelRLHurleyCet al. (1992) Improving social skills and disruptive behavior in children with autism through self-management. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis25(2): 341–353.
23.
LauS (1982) The effect of smiling on person perception. The Journal of Social Psychology117(1): 63–67.
LordCWagnerARogersSet al. (2005) Challenges in evaluating psychosocial interventions for autistic spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders35(6): 695–708.
26.
McMahonCMSolomonM (2015) Brief report: parent–adolescent informant discrepancies of social skill importance and social skill engagement for higher-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders45(10): 3396–3403.
27.
McMahonCMLernerMDBrittonN (2013a) Group-based social skills interventions for adolescents with higher-functioning autism spectrum disorder: a review and looking to the future. Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics4: 23–28.
28.
McMahonCMVismaraLASolomonM (2013b) Measuring changes in social behavior during a social skills intervention for higher-functioning children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders43(8): 1843–1856.
29.
MatsonJLRieskeRD (2014) Are outcome measures for early intensive treatment of autism improving?Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders8(3): 178–185.
30.
MillerAVernonTWuVet al. (2014) Social skill group interventions for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: a systematic review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders1(4): 254–265.
31.
MoskowitzDS (1986) Comparison of self-reports, reports by knowledgeable informants, and behavioral observation data. Journal of Personality54(1): 294–317.
32.
NewmanBTen EyckP (2005) Self-management of initiations by students diagnosed with autism. Analysis of Verbal Behavior21(1): 117–122.
33.
PalmenADiddenRArtsM (2008) Improving question asking in high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: effectiveness of small-group training. Autism12(1): 83–98.
34.
RattoABTurner-BrownLRuppBMet al. (2011) Development of the contextual assessment of social skills (CASS): a role play measure of social skill for individuals with high-functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders41(9): 1277–1286.
SchmidtCStichterJP (2012) The use of peer-mediated interventions to promote the generalization of social competence for adolescents with high-functioning autism and Asperger’s syndrome. Exceptionality20(2): 94–113.
37.
SchulzKFAltmanDGMoherD (2010) CONSORT 2010 statement: updated guidelines for reporting parallel group randomised trials. BMC Medicine8(1): 18.
38.
StaggSDSlavnyRHandCet al. (2014) Does facial expressivity count? How typically developing children respond initially to children with autism. Autism18(6): 704–711.
VernonTWMillerARKoJAet al. (2016) Social Tools And Rules for Teens (the START program): program description and preliminary outcomes of an experiential socialization intervention for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders46(5): 1806–1823.
41.
VernonTWMillerARKoJAet al. (2018) A randomized controlled trial of the Social Tools And Rules for Teens (START)program: an immersive socialization intervention for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders48(3): 892–904.
42.
VismaraLARogersSJ (2010) Behavioral treatments in autism spectrum disorder: what do we know?Annual Review of Clinical Psychology6: 447–468.
43.
WeissMJHarrisSL (2001) Teaching social skills to people with autism. Behavior Modification25(5): 785–802.
44.
WhiteSWKeonigKScahillL (2007) Social skills development in children with autism spectrum disorders: a review of the intervention research. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders37(10): 1858–1868.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
