title: Are peer support groups for adolescents with Asperger's syndrome helpful?
abstract: There is very little documentation dealing with peer support groups for people with Asperger's syndrome, and especially about groups for adolescents. This article gives a description of three such groups that were run in parallel with support groups for parents. The great majority of the participants completed the course of the group. In a consumer satisfaction survey, the majority of the participants (76.5%) and nearly all of their parents (95%) rated satisfaction with the group meetings as good or very good. These responses indicate that adolescents with Asperger's syndrome and their parents perceive peer support groups as helpful.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, St Olav's University Hospital, Elgeseter, Trondheim, Norway. b-weidle@online.no
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weidle
authors.forename: Britt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bolme
authors.forename: Anne Lise
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hoeyland
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D020817:Asperger Syndrome; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010379:Peer Group; D012649:Self Concept; D012919:Social Behavior; D012932:Social Facilitation; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires