Development and preliminary testing of the Dutch version of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®)

Abstract

The content of interventions targeting social behavior is sensitive to cultural differences in etiquette and societal customs. Here we describe (1) the process of linguistic and cultural adaptation of the PEERS® social skills program to the Dutch language and culture, and (2) the results from a preliminary adaptation test among 32 adolescents (12-18 years old) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although some important cultural adaptations were made, the similarities in effective social behaviors across cultures were most striking. At post-test, autistic adolescents significantly improved their social skills knowledge. In addition, parent-reported and self-reported social engagement (hosted get-togethers) increased. Also, social skill impairment decreased according to parent-reports. Of the 32 adolescents who completed the program, 31% (n = 10) achieved a clinically significant change on the SRS-2 (ΔSRS-2 > 11.12). Future research examining the effectiveness of the Dutch version of PEERS® should include a larger randomized controlled trial, for which we provide several methodological considerations.

Validation of key components in designing a social skills training content using virtual reality for high functioning autism youth—A Fuzzy Delphi method

“…For instance, a study modified the PEERS® model for Dutch culture and observed different reactions to gossip in Dutch and American adolescents. Americans appeared surprised, questioning the significance of gossip, while the Dutch remained indifferent, displaying no reaction [ 49 ]. These cultural distinctions emphasize the necessity for developing culturally sensitive VR-based social skills training for diverse populations.…”

Could You Give Me the Blue Brick? LEGO®-Based Therapy as a Social Development Program for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

“…Third, the sample size of the studies was small. Fourth, there was an extreme variability in terms of clinical and socio-demographic characteristics [15,63]. Fifth, we decided to use a relatively narrow search strategy to identify only studies assessing the effects of LEGO ® -based therapy on ASD; following this, some studies may have been missed if they used terms such as neurodevelopmental disorders or social communication problems; however, on the other hand, our decision allowed us to increase the specificity of the intervention target.…”

A randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of the Dutch version of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®)

“…Parents act as a social coach for the implementation of these skills in natural settings. In the Netherlands, the PEERS® manual was translated and adapted by a team of 15 mental health care professionals [ 15 , 16 ].…”

“…In the Netherlands, the culturally adapted version of PEERS® has yielded promising preliminary results in a pilot-study [ 15 , 16 ]. Apart from the linguistic adaptation, minor adjustments were made for the Dutch version, including culture specific examples of social groups, activities, social networking sites, jokes as well as wording for teasing comebacks.…”

“…Apart from the linguistic adaptation, minor adjustments were made for the Dutch version, including culture specific examples of social groups, activities, social networking sites, jokes as well as wording for teasing comebacks. The most striking cultural adaptation was the adaptation of the ecologically valid way of responding to gossip, acting un-impressed/underwhelmed (Dutch version) rather than amazed (US version) [ 16 ]. Encouraged by the pilot results, we initiated a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) to more rigorously examine the effectiveness of the Dutch version of PEERS® among cognitively able adolescents with ASD.…”