Perspectives of Adults With Autism on Social Communication Intervention

Communication Disorders Quarterly ◽

10.1177/1525740120905501 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 152574012090550

Author(s):

Siva priya Santhanam ◽

Lynne E. Hewitt

Keyword(s):

Social Functioning ◽

Real World ◽

Social Communication ◽

Central Element ◽

Communication Intervention ◽

Adults With Autism ◽

The Core ◽

Communication Difficulties ◽

Social Communication Intervention ◽

Communication Impairments

Social communication difficulties are part of the core difficulties experienced by individuals with autism. Speech-language pathologists provide intervention and supports for these difficulties. Little is known about the own experiences and views of adults with autism about these services. Using semi-structured ethnographic interviewing, perspectives of eight adults (six currently attending college) with autism on social communication intervention were investigated. Participants articulated strengths and weaknesses in social communication, offering frank views of interventions received. Five themes regarding social communication intervention emerged: belief that intervention was ineffective and unnecessary; preference for one-on-one intervention; need for more real-world practice; friend and peer challenges and successes; and desire for more neurotypical understanding. Participants additionally offered general views on social functioning as well as advice for communication partners and other people with autism. In designing interventions for social communication impairments, the experiences and beliefs of those receiving the interventions should be a central element.

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Perspectives: A Process Approach to Social Communication for Adolescents With Asperger's Syndrome Using Radio Interviewing

Perspectives on School-Based Issues ◽

10.1044/sbi12.4.110 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 110-120

Author(s):

Amy Thrasher ◽

Jennifer Wilger ◽

Matthew Goldman ◽

Catharine Whitlatch

Keyword(s):

Social Communication ◽

Social Skill ◽

Asperger's Syndrome ◽

Asperger’S Syndrome ◽

Process Approach ◽

Communication Intervention ◽

Social Thinking ◽

Social Communication Intervention

Abstract The Perspectives program is a unique collaborative social communication intervention for adolescents with Asperger's syndrome and similar learning profiles. Clinicians use radio interviews as the vehicle to explicitly teach the process of social communication. Social skill objectives are addressed through this process approach, which was adapted from the framework of Social Thinking (Winner, 2002)

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Social Communication Intervention Programme–Goal Attainment Scale

PsycTESTS Dataset ◽

10.1037/t77967-000 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Catherine Adams ◽

Jacqueline Gaile

Keyword(s):

Social Communication ◽

Goal Attainment ◽

Communication Intervention ◽

Intervention Programme ◽

Social Communication Intervention ◽

Goal Attainment Scale

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A role-play assessment tool and drama-based social skills intervention for adults with autism or related social communication difficulties

Dramatherapy ◽

10.1177/0263067219834712 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 41-60

Author(s):

Céliane Trudel ◽

Aparna Nadig

Keyword(s):

Social Skills ◽

Social Communication ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Role Play ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Social Skills Intervention ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Adults With Autism ◽

Play Assessment ◽

Communication Difficulties

This study adds to a small literature on social skills measures and interventions for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or related social communication difficulties (SCD) without intellectual disability (ID). In study 1, a new multimodal assessment tool, the role-play assessment of social skills (R-PASS), was used to measure real-time application of social skills. The scores of adults with ASD/SCD were marginally lower than those of neurotypical adults, with a large effect size, suggesting that the measure can identify differences between the two groups. Therefore, the R-PASS shows potential as an objective tool to assess dynamic and naturalistic social skills. In Study 2, a pre–post single-group design study, we measured the effectiveness of a drama-based social skills intervention for seven participants who self-identified as having ASD/SCD. The R-PASS was used by external raters blind to diagnosis and intervention status to compare the performance of intervention participants to that of neurotypical adults. R-PASS scores suggested substantial improvement of social skills in the majority of participants post-intervention. Furthermore, relatives’ and participants’ perception of their social communication and self-regulation skills improved from pre- to post-intervention. These results suggest that the intervention may have helped the participants improve their social skills.

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