Autism Spectrum Disorder
Conditions
Keywords
autism spectrum disorder, couple therapy
Brief summary
The development of adult intimate relationships and the transition into couplehood are part of most people's life cycles, but these transitions become very challenging for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in as much as social interactions, emotional communication, and reciprocity, which are essential for interpersonal relationships, are made more difficult due to the condition itself. In the Adult ASD Clinic of National Taiwan University Hospital, we observe that the wives of the ASD husband suffer from long-term frustration, loneliness and helplessness, and are frequently experience anxiety and depression, that in turns changes the family's function and impacts on children's mental health. To date, there are limited intervention models focusing on couple therapy for ASD adults (or neurodiverse couple). Given the strong needs of clinical service, this study aims to identify the common problems of the ASD couples and develop a program to improve their partner relationships.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALCouple group therapy
1. Introduction of "I" statements 2. Focus of each conversation 3. Emotion acknowledgement 4. Self-assurance and positive feedback 5. teamwork and cooperation 6. Reflection
Sponsors
National Taiwan University Hospital
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
20 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* one person of each couple has either Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis or the autism spectrum quotient scoring above or equal to 26 * able to communicate in Chinese * Wechsler Intelligence scoring above 70
Exclusion criteria
* Psychiatric disorder (i.e. schizophrenia, substance abuse) * unable to communication (i.e. visual or auditory impairment)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, ADOS | 6 weeks | range from 0 to 8 for each item. Higher the score, worse the symptoms |
| Autism Spectrum Quotient | 6 weeks | range from 0 to 3 for each item, total score of 50. Higher the score, wrose the related symptoms. |
| Empathy Quotient | 6 weeks | range from 0 to 3 for each item, total score of 40. Higher the score, worse the empathy |
| Social Responsiveness Scale, SRS | 6 weeks | 65 questions, range from 1 to 5. Higher the score, worse the symptom |
| Quality of socialization questionnaire, QSQ | 6 weeks | selected part of the questionnaire to examine the quality of interaction. Higher the score, better the socialization |
Countries
Taiwan
Contacts
CONTACTYi-Ling Chien
Outcome results
None listed