Evaluation of a social skills training for children with autism spectrum disorders: Generalisation of skills by training parents and teachers?

Social skills are limited in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Social skills trainings are widely available in all kinds of settings and based on a wide variety of methods. The assumption is that the children can generalise the skills taught in the training to their homes and schools. However, little empirical evidence exists on the effectiveness of social skills training in general and on the generalization of the learned skills in particular. The current study aims to investigate the effectiveness of a social skills training based on a clear protocol. Specific focus will be on the generalization of skills to situations outside the training, by involving parents and teachers before and during the training.

Suggestions from the literature on what has been missing in former studies will be incorporated: focus on generalization of skills, a Randomized Controlled Trial, large enough number of participants, standardised outcome measures, and a standardised protocol for the training. Based on the current study we hope to be able to pronounce upon the efficacy of a social skills training for children with ASDs.

Social skills training will increase the social and communicative skills in daily life situations of children with ASDs as compared to children who do not follow such training. Additionally, training parents and teachers will increase generalisation of the social and communicative skills outside the training of children with ASDs who follow a social skills training.

All parent and child measures will be administered before start of the training (or care-as-usual), at 6 months and at 12 months. All teacher measures will be administered before start and at 6 months, due to change of teacher from one schoolyear to another.

Children in the first intervention group (SST) will receive a protocolled Social Skills training of 15 weekly sessions of 1.5 hours, and three monthly booster sessions starting 2 months after the last regular session.



Children in the other intervention group (SST+) will receive the same training. Additionally, their parents will receive a protocolled Parent Managment Training (PMT) of 8 session of 1.5 hours. The first three sessions will be given before and the other five during the training of the children. Focus of the PMT is on psychoeducation and on helping the child practice and generalise social skills. Also, teachers will be involved in this condition.



The control group receives care-as-usual, without specific focus on social skills.