A pilot study of combining social skills training and parenting training for children with autism spectrum disorders and their parents in Japan

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a program containing a combination of social skills training (SST) and parenting training (PT) for the enrichment of social interaction skills and reduction of parenting stress for children with highfunctioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) and their parents in Japan. Twenty-two patients with HFASD from second to fourth grade and their parents were assigned to a training group (TG) or treatment as usual (TAU) and compared. The children with HFASD and their parents who were assigned to the TG participated in the manualized program for over a period of five to six months. Subjects provided demographic and medical information and completed teacher and parent-rating scales for social competence (Social Responsiveness Scale-2: SRS-2) and parent-rating of parenting stress (Parental Stress Index: PSI) and mental health (General Health Questionnaire-28: GHQ-28). The participants exhibited some improvements pre-, middle-, and posttreatment, particularly regarding the GHQ, PSI and SRS-2, as reported by parents. However, the social skills improvement reported by teachers was not significant. At the three-month follow-up, parent-rated GHQ and PSI maintained improvement, and SRS-2 achieved the greatest improvement from the baseline rating. Although some findings indicate that a program combination of SST and PT might be useful for enhancing social skills and improving parental stress and mental health, some subscales did not show a sufficient effect. Future research should consider program contents and provide longitudinal follow-up data to test the durability of the treatment.

Tingkat Kemampuan Orang Tua dalam Meregulasi Penggunaan Smartphone pada Anak Usia Dini

“…Komunikasi antara orang tua dan anak juga merupakan hal penting yang perlu dilakukan oleh orang tua. Zulfitria (2017) dan Okajima et al (2021) mengatakan bahwa komunikasi antara orang tua dan anak juga bepengaruh terhadap pola asuh orang tua dalam mengontrol penggunaan smartphone pada anak. Terdapat beberapa indikator yang menjadi kemampuan orang tua dalam pengasuhan anak yakni keterampilan komunikasi, pemantauan, aktivitas bersama, dan pengaturan lingkungan bermain serta pengelolaan emosi (Fischer et al, 2020).…”

Metaverse-based social skills training program for children with autism spectrum disorder to improve social interaction ability: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Children with HFASD generally recognize the lack of social interaction by comparing self-interest with other children and are prone to negative emotions, which persist into adulthood. 4,5 A child not be exposed to proper intervention avoids normal social contact, whereas an adult with HFASD is likely to have poor quality of employment and other mental disorders. 6,7 Psychotherapeutic approaches are preferred, and behavioral interventions are associated with positive outcomes for children with ASD.…”