Autism Spectrum Disorders
Conditions
Keywords
Social Skills, Asperger's, High-functioning autism, Young adults
Brief summary
This study is investigating the development of a social skills training program for adults with Asperger's Syndrome or high-functioning autism, ages 18 to 35 years. The Principal Investigator for this study is Dr. Michael Murray, the director of the Autism Studies Division at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. The purpose of this study is to adapt a social skills training program to address and enhance the social skills of adults with Asperger's Syndrome and high-functioning autism.
Detailed description
During group study visits, a group of six young adults with Asperger's Syndrome or high-functioning autism will meet weekly for about 90 minutes. The purpose of the group sessions is to work on everyday social skills such as initiating and maintaining conversations, establishing friendships, and dealing with situations such as job interviews and dating. A generalization session will be held every week after the group therapy session with same-age peers who have been screened to participate in the study. The purpose of including peers in the class is to give young adults with Asperger's syndrome and high-functioning autism a chance to practice the social skills learned in the group study visit with a peer group. Study participants will be paired with a typically developing peer for an outing in the community to a nearby restaurant or shop or an in-class exercise such as a mock job interview.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALsocial skills therapy
Sixteen week manual based social skills curriculum targeting social fluency and responsiveness.
Sponsors
Pennsylvania Bureau of Autism Services
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Between 18 and 35 years of age * Must be a Pennsylvania resident * A primary diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome or high-functioning autism, as confirmed by the SRS-2 * A verbal IQ of 85 or above on the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test, Second Edition * English as primary language spoken * Ability to fluently speak in full sentences
Exclusion criteria
* A significant language delay * Difficulty with aggression directed at peers * A primary thought disorder * A secondary disorder of anxiety or depression so severe as to prevent the individual's participation in the treatment * A current high school student at start of intervention * Low social motivation demonstrated through formalized assessment and/or by responses given to screening interview
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Social Responsiveness Scale - Adult | One week post-intervention | The Social Responsiveness Scale - Adult is used to measure levels of social awareness, cognition, communication, motivation, and autistic mannerisms in adults. |
| Video recording of Social Interaction | One week post-intervention | Participants will be filmed in a brief interaction with a typically developing peer which will be coded to obtain social interaction skills and fluency scores. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Social Skills Inventory (SSI) | one week post-intervention | The SSI is a 90-item survey that measures social competence. |
| Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) | one week post-intervention | The SPIN is a 17-item survey that asks about feelings in social situations. |
| Empathy Quotient | one week post-intervention | The EQ is a 60-item survey that assesses ability to relate to others. |
| Achenbach Adult Behavior Checklist | One week post-intervention | The Achenbach is a 126-item survey that asks about behaviors, problems, and substance use. |
| Social Fluency Assessment | one week post-intervention | Participants will be filmed in a brief interaction with a typically developing peer. These videos will be analyzed for indicators of social fluency such as eye contact, seconds of silence and number of questions asked. |
| Social Responsiveness Scale - Adult | three months post-intervention | The Social Responsiveness Scale - Adult is used to measure levels of social awareness, cognition, communication, motivation, and autistic mannerisms in adults. |
| Achenbach Adult Behavior Checklist - Self Report | one week post-intervention | A 126-item survey that asks about behaviors, problems, and substance use. |
| Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA) | one week post-intervention | The SELSA is a 37-item survey that assesses friendships and other relationships. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed