Social Tools And Rules for Teens (The START Program): Program Description and Preliminary Outcomes of an Experiential Socialization Intervention for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Experiential learning is an essential process in the development of core social competencies. Unfortunately, adolescents with autism spectrum disorders often do not possess the prerequisite skillset and motivation to sustain the level of social immersion needed to benefit from this learning process. These persisting social vulnerabilities can limit their long-term relational success and associated quality of life, creating a need for comprehensive social programming. This paper describes a multi-component socialization intervention that simultaneously targets motivational, conceptual, and skill deficits using a hybrid experiential/didactic treatment approach. Evidence of social competence improvements was noted in survey and live conversational measures, indicating that the START program may hold promise as a method for improving the social success of participating adolescents with ASD.

Appendix 1: Social Competency and Motivation Scale

Instructions: For each question, please indicate how much you agree with each of the following statements by selecting ONE of the following choices. If you are unsure, please make your best guess.

	Not at all	Rarely	Sometimes	Usually	Almost Always
My child is comfortable in social situations	1	2	3	4	5
My child knows how to interact with an unfamiliar person	1	2	3	4	5
My child is willing to go out in public by him/herself	1	2	3	4	5
My child knows how to make friends with other individuals his/her age	1	2	3	4	5
My child makes eye contact with people when talking to them	1	2	3	4	5
My child maintains conversations by asking questions	1	2	3	4	5
My child maintains conversations by making comments	1	2	3	4	5
My child stays on topic during conversations	1	2	3	4	5
My child brings up appropriate conversation topics	1	2	3	4	5
My child greets others appropriately	1	2	3	4	5
My child introduces him/herself appropriately	1	2	3	4	5
My child ends conversations appropriately	1	2	3	4	5
My child uses appropriate voice volume/rate intonation when speaking	1	2	3	4	5
My child exhibits appropriate facial expressions when talking with others	1	2	3	4	5
My child verbally expresses empathy for others	1	2	3	4	5
My child compliments others	1	2	3	4	5
My child uses age-appropriate humor	1	2	3	4	5
My child has an interest in other people	1	2	3	4	5
My child wants to have friends	1	2	3	4	5
My child knows how to behave when he/she is at a party	1	2	3	4	5
My child prefers to be with other people during his/her free time	1	2	3	4	5
My child loves to talk to other people	1	2	3	4	5
My child likes to learn about the experiences of other people	1	2	3	4	5
My child feels comfortable going out with peers in group outings	1	2	3	4	5
My child goes over to friends’ houses or has them come to our house	1	2	3	4	5
My child is skilled in maintaining relationships over time	1	2	3	4	5