The Effectiveness of Social Skills Training Groups for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Hotton, Matthew; Coles, Sarah

doi:10.1007/s40489-015-0066-5

Cited by 42 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Overall, the studies indicate that social skills groups adopting different formats (e.g., counselling and coaching models) can be beneficial for adults with ASD, reducing a number of social impairments, increasing social interaction and improving relationships. The findings of this review are in line with those of other reviews for children, adolescents and adults with ASD (e.g., Hotton & Coles, ).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 90%

“…To date, reviews of social skills group literature for individuals with ASD have evaluated research focusing on children and adolescents (Miller, Vernon, Wu, & Russo, ; Rao, Beidel, & Murray, ; Reichow et al., ), adolescents and adults (Hotton & Coles, ) or only adults with ASD without intellectual disability (Spain & Blainey, ). These reviews concluded that social skills groups for individuals with ASD were effective for reducing a number of social difficulties.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Do group interventions help people with autism spectrum disorder to develop better relationships with others? A critical review of the literature

Atkinson‐Jones

Hewitt

2018

Brit J Learn Disabil

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Accessible summary• Lots of people with autism find it difficult to make friends and have relationships.• There are lots of different groups that can help people with autism to learn social skills and how to make friends.• Some of the groups were specially designed for people with a learning disability as well as autism.• The groups can help support people to talk about their emotions, talk to other people about their thoughts and feelings and practise talking to other people.• This paper found that social skills groups can help people with autism to improve their social skills and to talk to people more.• The PEERS-YA group appears to be the best social skills group for people with autism without a learning disability.• More research is needed to learn more about social skills groups for people with autism and a learning disability. AbstractBackground: Social and communication impairments are a core diagnostic feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and can act as a barrier to developing relationships.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2016) guidelines recommend group social skills interventions as the first-line treatment to help adults with ASD improve their social skills and relationships. To date, reviews have only explored the impact of group social skills interventions for adults with ASD without intellectual disability (ID). This review aimed to critically appraise studies investigating group social skills interventions for adults with ASD both without intellectual disability and with a mild or moderate intellectual disability. Method:A systematic search of four databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL), as well as hand-searching of references, was conducted. Ten studies were identified, employing different designs and methodologies, and covering six different group social skills interventions.Results: Overall, the review provided fairly consistent evidence that group social skills in different formats can reduce social impairments and increase social interaction, social knowledge and empathy for adults with ASD.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do group interventions help people with autism spectrum disorder to develop better relationships with others? A critical review of the literature

Atkinson‐Jones

Hewitt

2018

Brit J Learn Disabil

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“…It may be bene cial for individuals with 22q11DS to be routinely referred by clinicians for social and cognitive skills training. Evidence from previous studies in idiopathic psychosis (93) and ASD (94) suggests that psychosocial and social skills training show positive treatment effects for both groups even 3-4 months post-treatment on average, suggesting good generalizability of social skills treatment gains, and improved overall functioning and sense of well-being. Intervention models directed at improving psychosocial function in individuals with 22q11DS have previously been proposed, with one pilot study that found targeted training in the identi cation of nonverbal social cues and perspective taking is associated with signi cant gains in social cognitive abilities in adolescents with 22q11DS (95).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Social Cognition in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome and Idiopathic Developmental Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Jalal

Nair

Lin

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Abstract Background: 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a common recurrent neurogenetic condition associated with elevated risk for developmental neuropsychiatric disorders and intellectual disability. Children and adults with 22q11DS often exhibit marked social impairment as well as neurocognitive deficits, and have elevated rates of both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and psychosis. However, the relationship between the basic processes of social cognition and cognitive ability has not been well studied in 22q11DS. Here, we examined differences in social cognition in 22q11DS, relative to multiple groups of idiopathic neuropsychiatric disorders, and typically developing healthy controls (HC). Additionally, we examined differences in intellectual functioning and its relationship to social cognitive abilities. Finally, we examined the relationship between social cognitive abilities and real-world social behavior. Methods: We examined social cognition and intellectual functioning in 273 participants (mean age = 17.74+/-5.18% female = 44.3%): 50 with 22q11DS, 49 youth with first episode psychosis (FEP), 48 at clinical high-risk (CHR) for psychosis, 24 participants with ASD, and 102 HC. Social cognition was assessed using The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT), while reciprocal social behavior was assessed via parent/caregiver ratings on the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Participants were also administered the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, 2 nd edition (WASI-II) to assess intellectual functioning. Results: The 22q11DS group exhibited significantly lower social cognitive abilities compared to all other groups, even after controlling for intellectual functioning. Significant positive correlations were found between social cognition, as measured by the TASIT, and IQ across groups. In contrast, no significant relationships were found between TASIT and real-world social behavior (SRS) for any group. Conclusions: Our findings indicate social cognitive deficits are more prominent in 22q11DS than idiopathic neuropsychiatric conditions across the age range, even after adjusting for global intellectual function. These results contribute to our understanding of the intellectual and social vulnerabilities of 22q11DS in comparison to idiopathic neuropsychiatric disorders. Our findings of robust associations between intellectual ability and social cognition emphasizes the importance of accounting for neurocognitive deficits in social skills interventions and tailoring these existing treatment models for 22q11DS and other populations with intellectual impairment.

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“…Although generalization of these skills has not been fully tested, the data points to small group as effective intervention. These findings seem to reach beyond pre-pubescent children as indicated by reviews performed by Hotton and Coles (2016) [8] and Spain and Blainey (2015) [9] who reviewed studies of adults with ASD. All of the studies involved social skills interventions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Effective small group interventions are an important element to the inclusive classroom because they will foster a better sense of community in diverse settings, as diverse groups of students are placed in small group intervention settings. In comparison to this review, Hotton and Coles (2016) [8], reviewed thirteen studies of interventions for adolescents and adults with ASD. Spain and Blainey (2015) [9] reviewed five studies of adults with ASD.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Limited Review of Social Skills Training for Children with ASD

2018

Int J Autism & Relat Disabil

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There are no medications to cure Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Behavior therapies and skills training are generally at the root of "treating" the disorder. Due to the social communication challenges characteristic of ASD, one necessary intervention target for children with ASD is improved social skills. Social skills training can occur in multiple settings such as at home, at school, or in a clinical setting. However, many young children with ASD need direct instruction and support for interacting with their peers in their classrooms. Thus, the purpose of this limited review of the research was to examine the effects of social skills training delivered in small group settings to improve social skills of young students with ASD. Four studies were reviewed and the findings suggest that small group social skills training allows students more opportunity for active involvement in the learning. In small groups, it is easier to be sure that all students receive the same intervention. There is less likely a chance that children will be overlooked in the learning. In small group settings there is a better chance of developing rapport between students. Finally, in small group settings there is more opportunity for peer learning. Implications for practice and future research will be discussed. This review examines the effects of social skills training in small groups for children with ASD.

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The Effectiveness of Social Skills Training Groups for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Cited by 42 publications

References 58 publications

Do group interventions help people with autism spectrum disorder to develop better relationships with others? A critical review of the literature

Do group interventions help people with autism spectrum disorder to develop better relationships with others? A critical review of the literature

Social Cognition in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome and Idiopathic Developmental Neuropsychiatric Disorders

A Limited Review of Social Skills Training for Children with ASD

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