Project Description:
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience social deficits that inhibit their ability to navigate the complex social environment. Without targeted interventions, youth with ASD often exhibit problematic social behavior and can become socially withdrawn (Bauminger, 2003), negatively impacting the quality of their lives and exacerbating deficits in other areas (Rogers, 2000). Social skill deficits, including difficulties with social relationships and interactions, are key signifiers of ASD, with varying severity across the spectrum (APA, 2000). The heterogeneity of ASD makes programming decisions difficult, and there are few insights related to diagnostic subtype that can predict the optimal intervention match (Bellini, 2007). Moreover, delivery of empirically sound interventions is often constrained to clinical settings, raising concerns of generalization (Wolery & Garfinkle, 2002). The current project transfers a clinic-based Social Competence Intervention (SCI) prototype for youth with ASD who have particular phenotypic characteristics (related to diagnosis, cognitive function, and Theory of Mind) into a school-based setting. Although our clinic-based program suggests initial effectiveness, we recognize that not all students who may benefit from SCI have access to such services. We have reformulated SCI for delivery in educational rather than clinical settings. We work closely with local school districts, with whom we have well-developed partnerships. These collaborations include a series of focus groups and assessments of needs and abilities with regard to implementation of group-based social skills interventions within a traditional middle/junior high school context. The results of this feedback required modifications to the current curriculum and implementation procedures. We implemented an iterative process of curricular development, collaborator feedback, training, implementation, and formative evaluation that is resulting in a school-based SCI intervention that will be ready for future formal piloting and efficacy studies.
