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Table 1 Characteristics of published randomised controlled trials on social skills training in high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD)

From: The group-based social skills training SOSTA-FRA in children and adolescents with high functioning autism spectrum disorder - study protocol of the randomised, multi-centre controlled SOSTA - net trial

Publication / comparison groups

Inclusion / exclusion criteria

Subjects, number; age; RP

Intervention

Manual

Outcome measures pre/post treatment

Results pre/post treatment

Effect size group x time #

Beaumont and Sofronoff, 2008, Junior Detective Training Program / treatment versus wait-list control condition

Asperger syndrome; IQ > 85; no exclusion criteria reported

N = 49; 7.5-11 years; RP not described

4-weekly computer game training sessions (child and parents, 45 minutes) plus 8-weekly group therapy sessions with global targets (2 therapists / 3 children, 75 minutes); parallel 8-weekly parent trainings; teacher handouts

Yes

No primary outcome measure

  

SSQ-P (PR)

P < 0.001

η2 = 0.37

ERSSQ-P (PR)

P < 0.001

 

Child measures:

  

Emotion recognition

ns

 

Knowledge of emotion management strategies

P < 0.001

Treatment effect was maintained for 5 months (parent ratings)

  

DeRosier et al., 2011 S.S.GRIN-HFA / treatment versus traditional S.S.GRIN

Autism, Asperger syndrome, PDD-nos; IQ > 85; exclusion of children with CBCL-aggression subscale > 70

N = 55; 8-12 years; RP not described

S.S.GRIN-HFA: 15 group sessions of 60 minutes, and 4 parent training sessions; traditional S.S.GRIN: 10 group sessions of 60 minutes (2 therapists/group)

Yes

No primary outcome measure

  

Parent report: SRS – subscales

P < 0.05

d: 0.68 - 0.94

ALQ

P < 0.05

d = 0.75

Child report:

  

Social dissatisfaction

  

questionnaire

ns

 

Social self-efficacy scale

ns

Frankel et al., 2010 Children’s Friendship Training” / treatment versus wait-list control condition

Autism spectrum disorder (ADI-R, ADOS); verbal IQ > 60; child has to be able to switch topics in conversation and knows several play rules; attending regular classroom without individual support; exclusion criteria: psychotropic medication; neurological or medical disorder

N = 76 randomised, n = 68 completed training (58 boys, 10 girls); 7 - 12 years; RP: random.org

12 weeks of CFT within classes conducted by the UCLA friendship program; 12 session of 60 minutes for the child; 12 parallel sessions of 60 minutes for parents parents support homework and generalisation (i.e. arranging play dates)

Yes

No primary outcome measure

  

Child report:

  

The loneliness scale

P < 0.025

 

Piers-Harris self-concept scale

P < 0.025

parent report:

2 subscales P < 0.001

QPQ-P (5 subscales)

SSRS (4 subscales)

1 subscale P < 0.05

Teacher report: PEI treatment effect was maintained for 3 months (parent ratings)

ns

Koenig et al., 2010 / treatment versus wait-list control condition

Pervasive developmental disorder (ADOS, SCQ, PDD-BI) full scale IQ >= 70; exclusion criteria: severe aggressive behaviour, self-injury, oppositional behaviour

N = 44; 8-11 years (34 boys, 10 girls); RP: by external faculty member

16 group therapy sessions of 75 minutes (2 therapists / 4-5 children, 2 peer tutors); after 3rd session: individual treatment plan for each child (pro-social behavioural objectives; strategies)

Yes

Primary outcome measure: CGI-I

P = 0.001

 

Secondary outcome measure: Prosocial Index of the Social Competence Inventory (PR)

ns

Lopata et al., 2010 / treatment versus wait-list control condition

Autism, Asperger Syndrome, PDD-nos IQ > 70, verbal IQ > 80; no exclusion criteria reported

N = 36; 7-12 years; RP not described

Summer training program: 5 weeks with 5 × 70 minutes treatment cycles/day and 3 therapists/6 children; parents: 1/week parent training of 90 minutes

Yes

Set of primary outcome measures; child measures:

One-tailed tests

 

social skills knowledge

P < 0.001

d = 1.27

DANVA-2

ns

d = 0.53

CASL

P < 0.001

d = 0.39

parent ratings:

  

ASC

P = 0.006

d = 0.58

SRS

P = 0.003

d = 0.63

BASC-2-PRS: withdrawal

P < 0.001

d = 1.06

     

BASC-2-PRS: social skills

ns

d = 0.37

  1. ADI-R, Autism Diagnostic Interview-revised; ADOS, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule; ALQ, Achieved Learning Questionnaire; ASC, Adapted Skillstreaming Checklist; BASC-2-PRS, Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd edition, parent rating scales; CASL, Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language; CBCL, Child Behavior Checklist; CFT, Children’s Friendship Training; CGI-I, Clinical Global Impressions Scale Improvement Item; DANVA-2, Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy 2; ERSSQ, Emotion Regulation and Social Skills Questionnaire; ns, not significant; PDD-nos, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-not otherwise specified; PDD-BI, Pervasive Developmental Disorders Behaviour Inventory; PEI, The Pupil Evaluation Inventory; PR, parent report; QPQ, Quality of Play Questionnaire; RP, randomisation procedure; SCQ, Social Communication Questionnaire; SRS, Social Responsiveness Scale; SSQ-P, Social Skills Questionnaire, parent version; SSQ-T, Social Skills Questionnaire, teacher version; SSRS, Social skills rating system; TPSS, Teacher Perception of Social Skills.
  2. # Effect sizes are shown were reported.