title: Social skills training for adolescents with Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism.
abstract: The effectiveness of a social skills training group for adolescents with Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism (AS/HFA) was evaluated. Parents of six groups of adolescents (n = 46, 61% male, mean age 14.6) completed questionnaires immediately before and after the 12-week group. Parents and adolescents were surveyed regarding their experience with the group. Significant pre- to post-treatment gains were found on measures of both social competence and problem behaviors associated with AS/HFA. Effect sizes ranged from .34 to .72. Adolescents reported more perceived skill improvements than did parents. Parent-reported improvement suggests that social skills learned in group sessions generalize to settings outside the treatment group. Larger, controlled studies of social skills training groups would be valuable.
authors.affiliation: Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Jeanie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tse
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strulovitch
authors.forename: Vicki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tagalakis
authors.forename: Linyan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fombonne
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001076:Aptitude; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D003479:Curriculum; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D012381:Role Playing; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D012951:Socialization