Highlights from IMFAR 2008:
Thursday, May 15
ORAL 1595:
Friendship Training for Children With High Functioning Autism: The UCLA PEERS Program
Friendship Training for Children With High Functioning Autism: The UCLA PEERS Program
E. Laugeson
Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, 760 Westwood Plaza, Suite 48-243B, Los Angeles, CA 90024
C. Mogil
A. R. Dillon
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024
F. Frankel
Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, 300 Medical Plaza, Suite 1402, Los Angeles, CA 90095
Abstract
Background: Social skills training has increasingly become a common method for assisting adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) more effectively adapt to their social environment. Yet, the majority of treatment intervention studies in this area have focused on improving the social skills of younger children with ASD. Among the few social skills intervention studies conducted with older adolescents, most have not been formally tested in terms of their efficacy in developing close friendships, nor do they assess social functioning from independent observers, such as teachers.
Objectives: This study examines the efficacy of a manualized evidence-based parent-assisted social skills intervention, known as the UCLA PEERS Program, in improving overall social skills and friendship quality among teens 13-17 years of age with high-functioning autism or Asperger's Disorder.
Methods: 30 participants and their parents were randomly assigned to a treatment with follow-up condition or a delayed treatment control condition. Participants attended weekly 90-minute group treatment sessions over a 14-week period. Targeted skills included: conversational skills; peer entry and exiting skills; appropriate use of humor; developing and expanding friendship networks; good host behavior during get-togethers; good sportsmanship; strategies for handling rejection including teasing, bullying, arguments, and rumors/gossip; and strategies for changing bad reputations. Skills were taught through didactic instruction using concrete rules and steps of social etiquette in conjunction with role-playing exercises. Teen participants practiced newly learned skills during behavioral rehearsal exercises within the group, and parent-assisted weekly socialization homework assignments outside of the group.
Results: Findings suggest that teens exhibited significant improvement in social functioning and friendship skills following the treatment intervention, according to self-report, parent-reports, and independent teacher reports.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that the use of PEERS, a parent-assisted manualized social skills intervention, is efficacious in improving the social competence and friendship skills of teens with ASD.
Lay Abstract
One of the primary features of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is impairment in social functioning. Adolescents with autism typically have difficulty interacting with others and struggle to make and keep friends. Problems with social skills often affect the ability of these adolescents to function in traditional environments. Social skills training has become a popular method for assisting adolescents with ASD to more effectively adapt to their social environment. Yet, the majority of research studies in this area have focused on improving the social skills of younger children or lower functioning children with ASD. Among the few social skills intervention studies conducted with older adolescents who are higher functioning, most have not been formally tested for their ability to help adolescents develop close friendships.
The UCLA PEERS Program is a manualized social skills intervention for adolescents between 13-17 years of age with high-functioning autism and Asperger's Disorder. The goal of the program is to help adolescents learn to make and keep friends. Unlike most social skills interventions, PEERS is a parent-assisted program. Parents and adolescents attend separate weekly small group sessions which provide instruction in the rules of social etiquette necessary for developing and maintaining friendships. Adolescents are given social skills instruction and the opportunity to practice newly learned skills during in-group activities and games. Parents are taught how to assist their adolescents through social coaching during weekly homework assignments. Targeted social skills include conversational skills, peer entry and exiting skills, developing friendship networks, good sportsmanship, good host behavior during get-togethers, changing bad reputations, and handling teasing, bullying and arguments.
The purpose of this study was to test the benefit of the UCLA PEERS Program in improving social skills and friendship quality in adolescents with ASD. Treatment success was assessed at the beginning and end of the intervention to measure improvement in social skills. Results show that participants who received the intervention, compared to those who were waiting for the intervention, significantly improved their knowledge of social skills, increased the frequency of get-togethers with friends, decreased conflict during get-togethers, and improved their overall social skills.
Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, 760 Westwood Plaza, Suite 48-243B, Los Angeles, CA 90024
C. Mogil
A. R. Dillon
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024
F. Frankel
Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, 300 Medical Plaza, Suite 1402, Los Angeles, CA 90095
Abstract
Background: Social skills training has increasingly become a common method for assisting adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) more effectively adapt to their social environment. Yet, the majority of treatment intervention studies in this area have focused on improving the social skills of younger children with ASD. Among the few social skills intervention studies conducted with older adolescents, most have not been formally tested in terms of their efficacy in developing close friendships, nor do they assess social functioning from independent observers, such as teachers.
Objectives: This study examines the efficacy of a manualized evidence-based parent-assisted social skills intervention, known as the UCLA PEERS Program, in improving overall social skills and friendship quality among teens 13-17 years of age with high-functioning autism or Asperger's Disorder.
Methods: 30 participants and their parents were randomly assigned to a treatment with follow-up condition or a delayed treatment control condition. Participants attended weekly 90-minute group treatment sessions over a 14-week period. Targeted skills included: conversational skills; peer entry and exiting skills; appropriate use of humor; developing and expanding friendship networks; good host behavior during get-togethers; good sportsmanship; strategies for handling rejection including teasing, bullying, arguments, and rumors/gossip; and strategies for changing bad reputations. Skills were taught through didactic instruction using concrete rules and steps of social etiquette in conjunction with role-playing exercises. Teen participants practiced newly learned skills during behavioral rehearsal exercises within the group, and parent-assisted weekly socialization homework assignments outside of the group.
Results: Findings suggest that teens exhibited significant improvement in social functioning and friendship skills following the treatment intervention, according to self-report, parent-reports, and independent teacher reports.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that the use of PEERS, a parent-assisted manualized social skills intervention, is efficacious in improving the social competence and friendship skills of teens with ASD.
Lay Abstract
One of the primary features of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is impairment in social functioning. Adolescents with autism typically have difficulty interacting with others and struggle to make and keep friends. Problems with social skills often affect the ability of these adolescents to function in traditional environments. Social skills training has become a popular method for assisting adolescents with ASD to more effectively adapt to their social environment. Yet, the majority of research studies in this area have focused on improving the social skills of younger children or lower functioning children with ASD. Among the few social skills intervention studies conducted with older adolescents who are higher functioning, most have not been formally tested for their ability to help adolescents develop close friendships.
The UCLA PEERS Program is a manualized social skills intervention for adolescents between 13-17 years of age with high-functioning autism and Asperger's Disorder. The goal of the program is to help adolescents learn to make and keep friends. Unlike most social skills interventions, PEERS is a parent-assisted program. Parents and adolescents attend separate weekly small group sessions which provide instruction in the rules of social etiquette necessary for developing and maintaining friendships. Adolescents are given social skills instruction and the opportunity to practice newly learned skills during in-group activities and games. Parents are taught how to assist their adolescents through social coaching during weekly homework assignments. Targeted social skills include conversational skills, peer entry and exiting skills, developing friendship networks, good sportsmanship, good host behavior during get-togethers, changing bad reputations, and handling teasing, bullying and arguments.
The purpose of this study was to test the benefit of the UCLA PEERS Program in improving social skills and friendship quality in adolescents with ASD. Treatment success was assessed at the beginning and end of the intervention to measure improvement in social skills. Results show that participants who received the intervention, compared to those who were waiting for the intervention, significantly improved their knowledge of social skills, increased the frequency of get-togethers with friends, decreased conflict during get-togethers, and improved their overall social skills.
back to top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
