Abstract
This study examines the efficacy of a manualized parent-assisted social skills intervention in comparison with a matched Delayed Treatment Control group to improve friendship quality and social skills among teens 13–17 years of age with autism spectrum disorders. Targeted skills included 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. Results revealed, in comparison with the control group, that the treatment group significantly improved their knowledge of social skills, increased frequency of hosted get-togethers, and improved overall social skills as reported by parents. Possibly due to poor return rate of questionnaires, social skills improvement reported by teachers was not significant. Future research should provide follow-up data to test the durability of treatment.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baron-Cohen, S., Hoekstra, R., Knickmeyer, R., & Wheelwright, S. (2006). Adolescent autism spectrum quotient (AQ)–Adolescent Version. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(3), 343–350. doi:10.1007/s10803-006-0073-6.
Bauminger, N., & Kasari, C. (2000). Loneliness and friendship in high-functioning children with autism. Child Development, 71, 447–456. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.00156.
Baxter, A. (1997). The power of friendship. Journal on Developmental Disabilities, 5(2), 112–117.
Buhrmester, D. (1990). Intimacy of friendship, interpersonal competence, and adjustment during preadolescence and adolescence. Child Development, 61, 1101–1111. doi:10.2307/1130878.
Bukowski, W. M., Hoza, B., & Boivin, M. (1994). Measuring friendship quality during pre- and early adolescence: the development and psychometric properties of the Friendship Qualities Scale. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 11(3), 471–484. doi:10.1177/0265407594113011.
Burack, J. A., Root, R., & Zigler, E. (1997). Inclusive education for students with autism: reviewing ideological, empirical, and community considerations. In D. J. Cohen & F. Volkmar (Eds.), Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders (pp. 796–807). Wiley: New York.
Capps, L., Sigman, M., & Yirmiya, N. (1996). Self-competence and emotional understanding in high-functioning children with autism. Development and Psychopathology, 7, 137–149.
Constantino, J. N. (2005). Social responsiveness scale. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.
Frankel, F. (1996). Good friends are hard to find: help your child find, make, and keep friends. Los Angeles: Perspective Publishing.
Frankel, F., Mintz, J. (2008). Measuring the quality of play dates. Available from UCLA Parenting and Children’s Friendship Program, 300 Medical Plaza, Los Angeles.
Frankel, F., & Myatt, R. (2003). Children’s friendship training. New York: Brunner-Routledge.
Frankel, F., & Myatt, R. (2007). Parent-assisted friendship training for children with autism spectrum disorders: effects associated with psychotropic medication. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 37, 337–346. doi:10.1007/s10578-007-0053-x.
Frankel, F., Myatt, R., & Cantwell, D. P. (1995). Training outpatient boys to conform with the social ecology of popular peers: Effects on parent and teacher ratings. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 24, 300–310. doi:10.1207/s15374424jccp2403_7.
Frankel, F., Myatt, R., Cantwell, D. P., & Feinberg, D. T. (1997). Parent assisted children’s social skills training: Effects on children with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Journal of the Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 1056–1064.
Goldstein, A. P., & McGinnis, E. (2000). Skill streaming the adolescent: new strategies and perspectives for teaching prosocial skills. Champaign: Research Press.
Gralinski, J. H., & Kopp, C. (1993). Everyday rules for behavior: mother’s requests to young children. Developmental Psychology, 29, 573–584. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.29.3.573.
Gresham, F. M., & Elliott, S. (1990). The social skills rating system. MN: American Guidance Service.
Gresham, F. M., Sugai, G., & Horner, R. H. (2001). Interpreting outcomes of social skills training for students with high-incidence disabilities. Exceptional Children, 67(3), 331–345.
Hollingshead, A. B. (1975). Four factor index of social status. (Available from P. O. Box 1965, Yale Station, New Haven, CT 06520, USA).
Kaufman, A. S., & Kaufman, N. L. (2005). Kaufman brief intelligence test–second edition. Circle Pines, Minnesota: American Guidance Service.
Laugeson, E. A., Frankel, F.(2006). Test of Adolescent Social Skills Knowledge. Available from UCLA Parenting and Children’s Friendship Program, 300 Medical Plaza, Los Angeles.
Le Couteur, A., Lord, C., & Rutter, M. (2003). The autism diagnostic interview—revised (ADI-R). Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.
Lord, C., Rutter, M., DiLavore, P. D., & Risi, S. (2001). Autism diagnostic observation schedule. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.
Marriage, K. J., Gordon, V., & Brand, L. (1995). A social skills group for boys with Asperger’s syndrome. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 29, 58–62. doi:10.3109/00048679509075892.
McGuire, K. D., & Weisz, J. R. (1982). Social cognition and behavior correlates of preadolescent chumship. Child Development, 53, 1478–1484. doi:10.2307/1130074.
Miller, P. M., & Ingham, J. G. (1976). Friends, confidants, and symptoms. Social Psychiatry. Sozialpsychiatrie. Psychiatrie Sociale, 11, 51–58. doi:10.1007/BF00578738.
Nelson, J., & Aboud, F. E. (1985). The resolution of social conflict between friends. Child Development, 56, 1009–1017. doi:10.2307/1130112.
O’Connor, M. J., Frankel, F., Paley, B., Schonfeld, A. M., Carpenter, E., Laugeson, E., et al. (2006). A controlled social skills training for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 639–648. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.74.4.639.
Ozonoff, S., & Miller, J. N. (1995). Teaching theory of mind: a new approach to social skills training for individuals with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 25, 415–433. doi:10.1007/BF02179376.
Rubin, Z., & Sloman, J. (1984). How parents influence their children’s friendships. In M. Lewis (Ed.), Beyond the dyad (pp. 223–250). New York: Plenum.
Sigman, M., & Ruskin, E. (1999). Continuity and change in the social competence of children with autism, Down syndrome, and developmental delays. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 64, 114. doi:10.1111/1540-5834.00010.
Sparrow, S., Balla, D., & Cicchetti, D. V. (2005). The vineland adaptive behavior scales (2nd ed.). Circle Pines, Minnesota: American Guidance Service.
Tse, J., Strulovitch, J., Tagalakis, V., Meng, L., & Fombonne, E. (2007). Social skills training for adolescents with Asperger’s syndrome and high functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 1960–1968. doi:10.1007/s10803-006-0343-3.
Wechsler, D. (2003). Wechsler intelligence test for children (4th ed.). San Antonio: The Psychological Corporation.
Winer, B. J. (1971). Statistical principles in experimental design. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Wolfberg, P. J., & Schuler, A. L. (1993). Integrated play groups: a model for promoting the social and cognitive dimensions of play in children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 23, 467–489. doi:10.1007/BF01046051.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Clare Gorospe, Jilly Chang, Bobbie Celaya, Henry Kimmel, Emily Chen, Thao Trinh, Svetlana Gerzon, Robin Toblin, Shannon Denny, Renee Sloane, Natashia Lewis, and Brooke Martin for their valuable assistance on this study. The authors also gratefully acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the families who participated in this study. This research was supported by NIH Training Grant #T32-MH17140, Andrew Leuchter, Principal Investigator. The writing of this paper was partially supported by NIMH Grant #1U54MH068172, Fred Frankel, Project Principal Investigator. The contents of this publication are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Appendix: Test of Adolescent Social Skills Knowledge (TASSK)
Appendix: Test of Adolescent Social Skills Knowledge (TASSK)
Instructions
The following items are about making and keeping friends. After you read each item, there will be a couple choices to choose from. Decide which choice is the best by bubbling in the best answer. Only choose one answer per item.
-
1.
The most important part of having a conversation is to:
-
□ Trade information
-
□ Make sure the other person is laughing and smiling
-
-
2.
The goal of a conversation is to:
-
□ Make the other person like you
-
□ Find common interests
-
-
3.
One of the rules for having a two-way conversation is:
-
□ To be an interviewer
-
□ Do not be an interviewer
-
-
4.
When you are FIRST getting to know someone, it is important to be:
-
□ Funny and silly
-
□ Serious
-
-
5.
When you are calling a friend on the telephone, it is important to:
-
□ Tell them your first and last name and where you go to school
-
□ Have a cover story for calling
-
-
6.
When you are calling a friend on the telephone, you should:
-
□ Avoid cold calling
-
□ Let them do most of the talking
-
-
7.
It’s a good idea to try to make friends with:
-
□ Someone who is more popular than you
-
□ Someone who likes the same things as you
-
-
8.
It’s a good idea to have a peer group because:
-
□ More people will know who you are
-
□ It protects you from bullying
-
-
9.
When you are trying to join a conversation, the FIRST thing you should do is:
-
□ Watch to observe the conversation
-
□ Make a comment about what they are saying
-
-
10.
When joining a conversation, you should wait for:
-
□ Someone to invite you to talk
-
□ A pause in the conversation
-
-
11.
If you try to join a conversation and the people ignore you:
-
□ Move on
-
□ Speak louder and make sure they can hear you
-
-
12.
If you try to join ten different conversations, on average how many times out of ten are you likely to be rejected:
-
□ 7 out of 10
-
□ 5 out of 10
-
-
13.
When having a friend over for a get-together at your home:
-
□ You should figure out what you are going to do
-
□ Have your friend choose the activity
-
-
14.
If you are having a friend over for a get-together and someone else unexpectedly calls that you really like, you should:
-
□ Invite your other friend over
-
□ Tell them that you are busy and will call them later
-
-
15.
Teens like to play sports with other teens who:
-
□ Score points and play well
-
□ Praise them
-
-
16.
When people are not playing by the rules, you should:
-
□ Nicely remind them what the rules are
-
□ Do not referee them
-
-
17.
If another kid teases you or calls you a name, you should:
-
□ Tease the tease
-
□ Tell an adult
-
-
18.
When someone teases you, the best thing to do is:
-
□ Walk away
-
□ Make fun of what they said
-
-
19.
If someone is bullying you, the FIRST thing you should do is:
-
□ Get help from an adult
-
□ Avoid the bully
-
-
20.
If you are trying to change your bad reputation, you should:
-
□ Lay low for a while
-
□ Make sure that people get to know you better
-
-
21.
The FIRST thing you should do when you get into an argument with a friend is:
-
□ Listen and keep your cool
-
□ Explain your side
-
-
22.
When a friend accuses you of doing something you did not do:
-
□ Say you are sorry that this happened
-
□ Explain your side until they believe you
-
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Laugeson, E.A., Frankel, F., Mogil, C. et al. Parent-Assisted Social Skills Training to Improve Friendships in Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 39, 596–606 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0664-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0664-5