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Measuring Changes in Social Behavior During a Social Skills Intervention for Higher-Functioning Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

The social behavior of children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder was evaluated weekly over 19 weeks of a social skills training program. Participants’ vocalizations were coded as initiating, responding, or other (e.g., self-talk). Participants’ interactions were coded as dyadic peer interactions, dyadic leader interactions, interactions with a group of peers, interactions with a group of peer(s) and leader(s), or time spent by self. Over the course of the intervention, participants made fewer initiating and other vocalizations, more responding vocalizations, spent more time interacting with a group of peers, and spent marginally less time interacting with a leader. Gender, age, and intervention attendance effects on social behavior are also noted.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by two grants from the National Institute of Mental Health: a T32 Institutional Research Training Grant (PI: Sally Rogers, 5-T32MH073124-06) and a K-08 Career Development Award (PI: Marjorie Solomon, 1-K-08 MH074967-01). The authors thank Susan Bacalman, Scott Birkestrand, Ryan Dent, Anthony Evaristo, Erika Frieze, Niki Ghaderi, Joan Gunther, Claire Hara, Mussarat Iqbal, Mandy Pietrykowski, Aimee Sands, Andrea Schneider, Fiona Tsang, and Kelsey Urauchi for their contributions.

Conflict of interest

The first and second authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. The third author declares a potential conflict of interest, as she receives financial compensation for her clinical role in the intervention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA

    Camilla M. McMahon, Laurie A. Vismara & Marjorie Solomon

  2. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Indiana University, Bloomington, 201 N. Rose Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA

    Camilla M. McMahon

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  1. Camilla M. McMahon
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  2. Laurie A. Vismara
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Correspondence to Camilla M. McMahon.

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McMahon, C.M., Vismara, L.A. & Solomon, M. Measuring Changes in Social Behavior During a Social Skills Intervention for Higher-Functioning Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 43, 1843–1856 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1733-3

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