Table 6.
The outcomes and findings of studies (k = 18) evaluating the efficacy of a social skills group training program for autistic youth via an RCT design
| References | Assessment Timepoints | Outcome measures | Other measures | Attrition rate (%) | Data analysis | Results post SSGP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afsharnejad (2017) | Baseline, post-program and 12-week follow-up |
AA: GASb, p, CSIE, PALs, SIAS, PedsQL, ESM PAA: ERSSQ, PedsQL, SRS, ESM R: GASb, Emotion recognition taskb |
Adverse events, feedback, semistructured interviews Fidelity: Checklist & coding video recordings |
11.1 |
Intent-to-treat approach Linear mixed effect |
Achievement of personally meaningful social goals; Decreased social interaction anxiety at follow-up (primary endpoint) |
| Choque Olsson et al. (2017) | Baseline, post-program and 3-month follow-up |
AA: CiS PAA: ABAS-II, PSS, SRSp R: CGI-S, DD-CGAS T: ABAS-II, SRSb, p |
Adverse event Fidelity: Checklist & coding video recordings |
15 |
Intent-to-treat approach Linear mixed effect |
Decreased autism characteristics for adolescents only, especially in females |
| Corbett et al. (2016) | Baseline, post-program and 2-month follow-up (Some measures) |
PAA: ABAS-II, SRS R: ERP, NEPSY-II (MFI, MFDp, ToM), PIPb |
Fidelity: Observation & rating scales | 9.1 | ANCOVA | Improved social cognition, memory for faces and group play: Decreased autism characteristics |
| Corbett et al. (2019) | Baseline, post-program | R: ERP, NEPSY-II (ToM), PIP | Fidelity Scale | 11.5 | ANCOVA | Improved verbal ToM and engagement in cooperative play |
| Freitag et al. (2016) | Baseline, post-program and 3-month follow-up |
AA: DIKJ, Therapy quality & achievements PAA: CBCL, SDQ, SRSp T: SDQ, SRSb |
Adverse event collected Fidelity: Coding video recordings |
7.5 |
Intent-to-treat approach Mixed Model Repeated Measures |
Decreased autism characteristics Results maintained to follow-up |
| Jonsson et al. (2018) | Baseline, post-program and 12-week follow-up |
PAA: ABAS-II, PSS, SRSp R: CGI-S, DD-CGAS T: ABAS-II, SRSb, p |
Adverse event collected Fidelity: Checklist & coding video recordings |
16 |
Intent-to-treat approach Linear mixed effect |
Decreased autism characteristics; Improved global functioning SRS results maintained to follow-up |
| Ko et al. (2019) | Baseline, post-program | R: Observationp (facial expression, social interaction, social inquiriesb) | Fidelity: Coding a checklist during the session | 12.5 | ANOVAs | Improved social interaction (number of questions asked; positive facial expressions) |
| Laugeson et al. (2009) | Baseline, post-program |
AA: FQS, QPQ, TASSK-R PAA: QPQ, SSRS T: SSRSb |
Fidelity: Coding a checklist during the session | 0 | Mixed MANOVA | Improved social skills, friendship knowledge, and friendship quality; Increased hosted get-togethers |
| Lerner et al. (2012) | Baseline, post-program |
PAA: SRSb, p, SSRSb, p R: SIOSp, sociometric nominationp T: SSRSp |
Fidelity: Coding a checklist during the session | 0 | Repeated-measures ANOVA | Both experiment and active control increased reciprocated friendship and social skills, with the latter not generalised to daily life |
| Matthews et al. (2018) | Baseline, post-program and 20-week follow-up |
AA: AKQ, QSQ, R-UCLA, SIAS, TASSK PAA: QSQ, SRS, SSIS |
Fidelity: Coding a checklist during the session | 15.9 | MANOVA models |
Increased social skills’ knowledge and social functioning compared to WLC; AC hosted more get-togethers compared to WLC; No difference between the EXP & Con 1 Results maintained to follow-up |
| Matthews et al. (2020) | Baseline, post-program |
AA: QSQ, TASSK PAA: QSQ, SRS, SSIS |
Fidelity assessed | NA | Wilcoxon signed-rank | Decreased autism characteristics; Increased social skills knowledge |
| Rabin et al. (2018) | Baseline, post-program and 4-month follow-up |
AA: EQ, LSDQ, QSQ, TASSK PAA: QSQ, SRS, SSIS R: CASSb T: SRS, SSIS |
Fidelity: NR | 2.5 | Repeated measure MANOVA |
Improvements in engagement, question-asking, physical arousal, social skills, social encounters, empathy, and social-skill knowledge; Decreased autism characteristics Results maintained to follow-up |
| Schohl et al. (2014) | Baseline, post-program |
AA: FQS, QSQ, TASSK, SIAS PAA: QSQ, SRS, SSRS T: SRSb, SSRSb |
Fidelity: Coding a checklist during the session | 7.9 | ANCOVA | Improved friendship skills and knowledge |
| Shum et al. (2019) | Baseline, post-program and 14-week follow-up |
AA: QPQ, TASSK PAA: ABAS, QPQ, SRS T: SRSb NTA: ASBSb |
Fidelity: Observing the session | 8.3 | Repeated measure MANOVA |
Improved social skills’ knowledge, and social communication; Decreased autism characteristics Results maintained to follow-up |
| Van Hecke et al. (2015) | Baseline, post-program |
AA: TASSK PAA: QSQ, SRS R: EEG |
Fidelity: Coding a checklist during the session | 9.4 | Repeated measures ANOVA | A shift from right to left hemisphere associated with more social contacts and knowledge; Decreased autism characteristics |
| Vernon et al. (2018) | Baseline, post-program |
AA: SMCS, SSIS PAA: SMCS, SSIS, SRS |
Fidelity: Coding a checklist during the session | 12.5 | Mixed MANOVA | Increased social competencies and global social functioning; Reduced autism-related social vulnerabilities and autism characteristics |
| White et al. (2013) | Baseline, post-program |
AA: Program satisfaction PAA: CASI-Anxp, program satisfaction rating, SRSp R: CGI-Ib, DD-CGASb, PARSb |
Adverse event: Only collected if reported by the participants Fidelity: Checklist & coding video recordings |
16.7 |
Intent-to-treat approach ANCOVA |
Decreased autism characteristics and anxiety level |
| Yoo et al. (2014) | Baseline, post-program and 3-month follow-up (some measures) |
AA: TASSKp, QPQp, SSRS, SCQp, CDI, STAIC PAA: BDI, STAIC, ASDS, QPQ, SRSp, ASDS, CBCL, EHWA-VABS p R: ADOSp |
Fidelity: Observing the session | 14.5 | Repeated measures ANOVA |
Improved interpersonal relationship and play/leisure time, social skills knowledge; Decreased depressive symptom Results maintained to follow-up |
AA autistic adolescents, ABAS-II adaptive behaviour assessment system II, ADOS autism diagnostic observation schedule, AKQ autism knowledge questionnaire, ANCOVA analysis of covariance, ANOVA analysis of variance, ASBS adolescent social behaviour scale, ASDS Asperger syndrome diagnostic scale, BDI beck depression inventory, CASI-Anx child and adolescent symptom inventory-4 anxiety scale, CASS contextual assessment of social skills, CBCL child behaviour checklist, CDI child depression inventory, CGI-S Ohio State University Autism Clinical Global Impression-Severity, CiS children in stress, CSIE circumplex scale of interpersonal efficacy, DD-CGAS developmental disabilities children’s global assessment, DIKJ Depressioninventar fur Kinder und Jugendliche, EHWA-VABS Korean version of the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale, EQ emotion quotient, ERP event-related potential, ESM experience sampling method, GAS goal attainment scaling, FQS friendship qualities scale, LSDQ loneliness and social dissatisfaction questionnaire, MANOVA multivariate analysis of variance, MFI memory for faces (Immediate), MFD memory for faces (Delayed), NR not reported, PAA parents of the autistic adolescents, PALs Perth A-Loneness scale, PARS pediatric anxiety rating scale, PedsQL paediatric quality of life inventory TM, version 4.0, PIP peer interaction paradigm, PSS perceived stress scale, QPQ quality of play questionnaire, QSQ quality of socialization questionnaire, R research team, R-UCLA Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, SCQ social communication questionnaire, SDQ strength and difficulties questionnaire, SIAS social interaction anxiety scale, SIOS social interaction observation system, SMCS social motivation and competencies scale, SRS social responsiveness scale, SSGP social skills group program, SSIS social skills improvement scale, SSRS social skills rating system, STAIC the trait anxiety inventory, T teachers, TASSK-R test of adolescent social skills knowledge-revised, ToM theory of mind
bBlind assessment
pPrimary outcome measure