Long-Term Treatment Outcomes for Parent-Assisted Social Skills Training for Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders: The UCLA PEERS Program

Social deficits are a hallmark characteristic among adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), yet few evidence-based interventions exist aimed at improving social skills for this population, and none have examined the maintenance of treatment gains years after the intervention has ended. Thi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of mental health research in intellectual disabilities 2014-01, Vol.7 (1), p.45-73
Main Authors: Mandelberg, Josh, Laugeson, Elizabeth Ann, Cunningham, Tina D., Ellingsen, Ruth, Bates, Shannon, Frankel, Fred
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Asperger Syndrome
Asperger's disorder
Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorders
California
Communication Skills
Computer Mediated Communication
Drills (Practice)
Followup Studies
Friendship
Humor
Interpersonal Competence
Intervention
Interviews
Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test
long-term outcomes
Outcomes of Treatment
Parent Participation
Parents & parenting
Peer Relationship
PEERS
Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Program Effectiveness
Questionnaires
Role Playing
Scores
Secondary School Students
Skill Development
Social Development
Social skills
Social Skills Rating System
Statistical Analysis
Teenagers
Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales
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Summary:Social deficits are a hallmark characteristic among adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), yet few evidence-based interventions exist aimed at improving social skills for this population, and none have examined the maintenance of treatment gains years after the intervention has ended. This study examines the durability of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS), a manualized, parent-assisted social skills intervention for high-functioning adolescents with ASD. Targeted skills related to the development and maintenance of friendships were assessed 1-5 years following treatment for 53 adolescent participants and their parents. Results indicate that adolescents receiving PEERS maintained treatment gains at long-term follow-up on standardized measures of social functioning including the Social Skills Rating System and the Social Responsiveness Scale as well as in frequency of peer interactions and social skills knowledge. Perhaps due to parent involvement in treatment, results reveal additional improvements in social functioning at follow-up assessment.
ISSN:1931-5864
1931-5872
DOI:10.1080/19315864.2012.730600