Preliminary efficacy of a daily living skills intervention for adolescents with high functioning autism spectrum disorder

Pritchard et al. (2017) ran a 12-week group class for teens with high-functioning autism. The class met once a week and taught real-life skills like cooking, laundry, and handling money.

Each teen set four personal goals. The team checked progress before the class, right after it ended, and again six months later.

After the 12 weeks, teens scored higher on daily living skills tests. Parents also said the teens met most of their personal goals.

The gains stayed strong six months later, showing the skills stuck around.

Duncan et al. (2022) later ran a stronger study with a wait-list group. That RCT showed even bigger skill jumps, so the 2022 paper now tops the 2017 pilot.

Cruz-Torres et al. (2020) asked parents to teach the same skills at home with iPad videos. Their teens also learned, proving parents can run lessons without a clinic.

Veneruso et al. (2022) used a pasta-making club in Italy. Like the 2017 class, it ran about 12 weeks and boosted daily living skills, showing the idea travels across cultures and menus.

You can run a short group that fits inside one school term and still see lasting gains. If you lack staff, train parents to use video prompts at home. Either way, pick real tasks the teen cares about, track four clear goals, and check again months later to be sure the skills last.