Promoting social skill development in children with pervasive developmental disorders: a feasibility and efficacy study.
A 16-week group social skills program for 8- to 11-year-olds with ASD showed parent-reported gains on one measure but not another, and later studies achieved clearer success with longer or play-enhanced protocols.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Koenig et al. (2010) ran a 16-week group social skills program for children with pervasive developmental disorders. Kids were 8-11 years old and met in small groups each week. The team used a randomized controlled trial to see if the program helped social skills.
What they found
Parents said their children improved on the main rating scale. A second questionnaire showed no change. Parents still gave the program high marks for satisfaction. Results were mixed, not a clear win across the board.
How this fits with other research
Deckers et al. (2016) used a similar 12-session group plan and saw medium gains that lasted three months. Their protocol was shorter but worked better, so the 2016 study updates the 2010 findings.
U et al. (2018) doubled the length to 24 weeks and found large parent-rated gains. Longer groups seem to give stronger results, pushing past the mixed outcome seen in 2010.
Chester et al. (2019) added free play to an eight-week group and still beat the waitlist. Play may help, but the 2010 program did not include it.
Why it matters
If you run social skills groups, plan for at least 20-24 sessions to match the stronger effects seen in later studies. Keep parent rating forms as one tool, but add teacher or direct peer measures to catch changes the first scale might miss. Track satisfaction anyway—happy families stay enrolled even when numbers look mixed.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
A randomized controlled design was employed to evaluate a social skills intervention for children with pervasive developmental disorders. Aims included evaluating the acceptability of the program and gathering preliminary evidence on efficacy. Forty-four children, ages 8-11 years, were randomly assigned to treatment or wait list. Treatment consisted of a 16-week group intervention designed to teach appropriate social behavior. Between group comparisons showed that children in treatment were rated as improved on the primary outcome measure, (unblinded parent report), but not on the secondary outcome measure, a parent questionnaire. Parents reported a high level of satisfaction with the intervention. The study supports the feasibility of this intervention to families and highlights challenges for future research in social skills intervention.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2010 · doi:10.1007/s10803-010-0979-x