From this one might expect that children with ASD and high social anxiety will profit less from SST. 2012), and it is also suggested that this relation is bidirectional (Bellini 2006). For instance, it has been demonstrated that high levels of social anxiety are linked to lower levels of social functioning (Chang et al. 2013a), of which social anxiety and ADHD seem particularly relevant. A first characteristic concerns the presence of comorbid psychiatric symptoms (e.g., Mattila et al. It may well be that a number of these features have an impact on the efficacy of a group SST intervention. 2007).Ĭhildren with ASD constitute a very heterogeneous group with variable clinical and psychological features. ( 2008) strongly recommended that future research in this area should make the effort to promote generalization of SST and to measure its effects in everyday social situations outside the therapeutic setting (see also Krasny et al. Most studies to date employed SST interventions that did not include strategies to enhance this type of generalization, or did not include a measurement for evaluating whether and to what extent the trained social skills actually generalize outside the treatment setting. Obviously, the ultimate goal of this type of intervention is that children with ASD are able to deploy the newly acquired social skills in social situations such as at home and in school. Another important shortcoming of previous research on the effects of SST concerns the generalization of social skills outside the treatment setting. They pointed at the limited amount of research, but also noted findings that were quite encouraging for clinical practice as this type of intervention appears to promote social competence and friendships, while decreasing feelings of loneliness. ( 2012) systematically reviewed the evidence for the effectiveness of SST in youth with ASD and identified only five RCTs. However, the authors also noted that most of this research suffers from methodological limitations such as lack of standardized treatment manuals, small sample sizes, absence of control groups, and no inclusion of follow-up assessments. ( 2008) concluded that the majority of the 10 studies so far conducted in high-functioning children with ASD have documented positive outcomes for this type of intervention. Despite the widespread application of group SST for children with ASD–especially for those who are high-functioning–the empirical evidence for this type of intervention is still limited (Reichow and Volkmar 2010). This type of intervention is preferably provided in a group format because of the convenience of naturally occurring interactions and practicing opportunities with peers (Lopata et al. Social skills training (SST) is one of the interventions that can be applied in order to facilitate socialization in children with ASD (Rogers 2000). Finally, the importance of social skills is not restricted to social functioning but also affects the educational progress of children and as such has a long-term impact on occupational functioning and well-being in later life (Hartup 1989 Howlin et al. The finding that children with ASD also report elevated levels of loneliness (e.g., Bauminger and Kasari 2000) suggests that they are not satisfied with their social functioning. Furthermore, children with ASD are more often a victim of bullying (Rowley et al. In addition, children with ASD are more isolated and have a less central position in social networks (Kasari et al. ( 2013) found that children with ASD have fewer reciprocal friendships and lower friendship quality as compared to their peers. 2008) and an increasing number of studies has demonstrated that children with ASD encounter elevated levels of social difficulties in their daily lives. Impaired social skills are a core feature of ASD (Rao et al. However, for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) such relationships can by no means be taken for granted because of their significant deficits in communication and social interaction (American Psychiatric Association 2013). An extensive line of research has shown that positive interpersonal relationships are important for both the physical and emotional welfare of human beings (Baumeister and Leary 1995). Engaging in social interaction is an inevitable and significant element of daily life.
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