title: Brief report: feasibility of social cognition and interaction training for adults with high functioning autism.
abstract: The goal of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and utility of a group-based cognitive behavioral intervention to improve social-cognitive functioning in adults with high-functioning autism (HFA). We modified the treatment manual of a previously validated intervention, Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT), for optimal use with HFA adults (SCIT-A). We then conducted a pilot study to compare SCIT-A (n = 6) to treatment as usual (TAU) (n = 5) for adults with HFA. Feasibility was supported; attendance was high (92%) and satisfaction reports were primarily positive. Participants in SCIT-A showed significant improvement in theory-of-mind skills and trend level improvements in social communication skills; TAU participants did not show these improvements. Findings indicate SCIT-A shows promise as an intervention for adults with HFA.
authors.affiliation: Neurodevelopmental Disorders Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, CB #3367, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3367, USA. lauren_turner@med.unc.edu
authors.forename: Lauren M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Turner-Brown
authors.forename: Timothy D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: Gabriel S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Dichter
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Bodfish
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Penn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires