Effect of training program on sexual knowledge and social skills of adolescents with high-functioning autism in puberty

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila Akrami ◽  
Mokhtar Malekpour ◽  
Salar Faramarzi ◽  
Ahmad Abedi
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Training Program ◽  
High Functioning Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Sexual Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Effective Role

Purpose Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a group of complex neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by repetitive and characteristic patterns of behavior and difficulties with social communication and interaction. Puberty is an important period for teenagers with ASD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of educational program on increasing social skills (SS) and sexual knowledge (SK) in adolescent boys with high-functioning autism (HFA) disorder. Design/methodology/approach This study was conducted using a single-subject design. Participants were three boys diagnosed with HFA disorder, selected using purposive sampling. The social skills improvement system scale and the sexual knowledge questionnaire were used to measure SS and SK. The training program consisted of 49 sessions. Findings Results showed that, given the comparison of scores before and after the intervention, the training program was effective in improving SS and SK. Originality/value With regard to the importance of puberty, training programs for parents and adolescents play an effective role in increasing SS and SK of adolescents with HFA disorder.

Using digital social stories to improve social skills in children with autism: a pilot experimental single-subject study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed F. Safi ◽  
Maitha Alnuaimi ◽  
Abdelaziz Sartawi
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Causal Relation ◽  
Social Stories ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Intervention Phase ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face difficulty with educational attainment because of to their inability to interact with others. One intervention that is used to increase social skills in individuals with ASD is social stories. This study aimed at exploring the impact of digital social stories in improving social skills of two students with ASD in the UAE. Design/methodology/approach An experimental AB single-subject study was conducted to investigate the impact of digital social stories on nonverbal communication, targeting two specific behaviors: raising hands before leaving one’s seat (TB1) and playing and sharing toys with peers (TB2). Two digital social stories (DSS1 and DSS2) were developed for the purpose of this study and transformed using a digital platform to be displayed on an iPad (tablet). Findings This study involved two male participants with ASD (10 and 11 years old). Participant one demonstrated improvement in TB1 (mean of 1.11) because of DSS1 in the intervention phase. Participant two demonstrated improvement of 18% in TB2 ( mean of 0.18) as a result of DSS2 in the intervention phase. Practical implications Both students that participated in the study showed a positive change in their target behaviors during the intervention phase intervention at different levels. Using an ABA study design would have been stronger in establishing a more valid causal relation in this single-subject design study. However, due the COVID-19 closures and curfews, the researchers had to switch to the AB design. Originality/value This study demonstrated how social stories had a positive impact on ASD social skills. Further, it indicated the potential effectiveness of using digital social stories to reduce undesirable behaviors or increase a desirable behaviors in children who have ASD.

The Effect of a motor-based, social skills intervention for adolescents with high-functioning autism: two single-subject design cases

2010 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 188-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon A. Gutman ◽  
Emily I. Raphael ◽  
Leila M. Ceder ◽  
Arshi Khan ◽  
Katherine M. Timp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
High Functioning Autism ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Single Subject Design ◽  
Social Skills Intervention ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Subject Design

Peer-mediated social skills training program for young children with high-functioning autism

2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyong-Mee Chung ◽  
Shaye Reavis ◽  
Matt Mosconi ◽  
Josiah Drewry ◽  
Todd Matthews ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Social Skills Training ◽  
High Functioning Autism ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
High Functioning

Development, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of an employment-related social skills intervention for young adults with high-functioning autism

Autism ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1542-1553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Connie Sung ◽  
Annemarie Connor ◽  
June Chen ◽  
Chien-Chun Lin ◽  
Hung-Jen Kuo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Social Skills ◽  
Soft Skills ◽  
High Functioning Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Skills Intervention ◽  
Employment Training ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Work Related

This article details the iterative development, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of an 8-week work-related social skills intervention, Assistive Soft Skills and Employment Training, for young adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. In this mixed-methods study, pre- and post-intervention surveys, interviews, and functional measures were used to gather information on the program’s feasibility, user acceptability, practicality, and preliminary efficacy. Results indicate that Assistive Soft Skills and Employment Training graduates showed significant improvements in work-related social skills knowledge, social functioning, and social/empathy self-efficacy. Participants and group facilitators also reported high satisfaction with program activities, training modalities, frequency, and duration of the intervention. Results support expanded use of group-based, work-related, social skills interventions for young adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Moreover, these findings, though preliminary, suggest that manualized, empirically based programs like Assistive Soft Skills and Employment Training promote improved social functioning, self-confidence, engagement, and adherence to training, as well as broader impacts, including improved sense of belonging and greater employability in this traditionally underserved population.

The Secret Agent Society Social-Emotional Skills Program for Children With a High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Sofronoff ◽  
Jenni Silva ◽  
Renae Beaumont
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
High Functioning Autism ◽  
Child Anxiety ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Emotional Skills ◽  
Secret Agent

This study evaluated a parent-delivered social and emotional skills intervention—the Secret Agent Society (SAS) for children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HF-ASD). The study was a pre–post follow-up design with an 8-week baseline period and 6-week follow-up period. Participants were 38 parents and 41 children recruited from regional/rural Queensland and metropolitan Brisbane, Australia. Child participants completed measures of social skills and emotion management, and parents completed measures related to child behavioral problems, parent self-efficacy, child anxiety, and parent emotional distress at pre-intervention, post intervention, and 6-week follow-up. Analyses of outcomes were conducted with a series of repeated-measures MANOVAs and one-way ANOVAs at post intervention and 6-week follow-up. There were significant improvements in child social skills reported by parents with gains maintained at 6-week follow-up with large effect sizes. Parent self-efficacy, child behavior, and child anxiety levels also improved significantly. In addition, outcomes from the SAS self-directed program were compared with the original clinic-based program conducted by Beaumont and Sofronoff. Results indicated greater changes in social skills outcomes in the clinic-based program and no difference between groups on emotional management strategies. The limitations of the study and clinical implications are discussed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document