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NCT Number: NCT05857813

Social Skills Training Group Effectiveness in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, and the presence of restricted, repetitive behavior and interests, affecting 1 in 68 children. Although atypical social deficits onset in early childhood, their social relationships with peers may remain a challenge or even worsen for individuals with ASD throughout the school years and beyond, as social contexts increase in complexity and pose higher social expectations.

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Key information

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder Child Development Disorders, Pervasive Mental Disorders Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Age range

11 year–20 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

National Taiwan University Hospital

Taipei, Taiwan

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Yi-Ling Chien, MD, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+886223123456#66013

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • aged 11-20 years, currently enrolled in school between the sixth grade of elementary school and the third year of high school
  • with a clinical diagnosis of ASD from a licensed mental health or medical professional based on DSM-5
  • experiencing social difficulties as reported by parents in a structured intake interview
  • scored ≧ 26 on the caregiver-reported Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), indicating clinical impairment associated with ASD
  • demonstrating verbal fluency in Chinese
  • with a full-scale IQ > 70 on WAIS-IV
  • with motivation to participate in the intervention;
  • with a caregiver who was fluent in Chinese and willing to participate as a social coach in the study.

Exclusion criteria

  • a history of major mental illness (e.g., bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia, or psychosis) or neurological diseases that might hinder participation in the treatment
  • visual impairment and/or hearing impairment that would preclude participation in group-based social activities.

Treatment and study plan

Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®)

Behavioral

developed at the University of California, Los Angeles (E. A. Laugeson & F. Frankel, 2010). This is a parent-assisted, manualized social skills training program that addresses crucial areas of social functioning for adolescents. Psycho-education and cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques are employed to help adolescents develop ecologically valid skills for making and maintaining friendships.

Primary outcomes

  1. Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R)

    Time frame: 7 weeks

    Interview with caregiver of autistic participants. Total of 93 items coding from 1 to 9. Higher the score, worse the syptom

  2. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)

    Time frame: 7 weeks

    Observe the autistic participant during the interview. the examinee's condition is classified as autism spectrum if the combined score across two domains of social interaction and communication is ≥7, and as autism if the combined score is ≥12. In Module 2, a combined score of ≥8 corresponds to autism spectrum, and a combined score of ≥12 corresponds to autism

  3. Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)

    Time frame: 7 weeks

    50 statement scoring from 1 to 4. higher the score, worse the syptom

  4. Friendship Quality Scale (FQS)

    Time frame: 7 weeks

    23 questions scoring from 1 to 5. Higher the score, better the quality of friendship

  5. The Assessing Emotions Scale (AES)

    Time frame: 7 weeks

    score range from 33 to 165. higher the score, better the emotional intelligence

  6. Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS)

    Time frame: 7 weeks

    65 questions range from 1 to 4. higher the score, worse the symptom.

  7. Social Adjustment Inventory for Children and Adolescents (SAICA)

    Time frame: 7 weeks

    17 scenarios scoring from 1 to 4. Higher the score, better the capability

  8. Quality of Play Questionnaire (QPQ)

    Time frame: 7 weeks

    10 questions scoring from 0 to 3. Higher the score, worse the quality of play. Also, asked for frequency and number of participant in the play

  9. Test of Adolescents Social Skills Knowledge (TASSK)

    Time frame: 7 weeks

    score range from 0 to 22. Higher the score, greater the knowledge of taught social skills

  10. Empathy Quotient (EQ)

    Time frame: 7 weeks

    60 questions score from 0 to 3. Higher the score, greater the empathy

  11. Friendship Questionnaire (FQ)

    Time frame: 7 weeks

    score from 0 to 135. higher the score, the more enjoyment of friendship

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Yi-Ling Chien

CONTACT

[email protected]

+886223123456#66013

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

National Taiwan University Hospital

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Establishment of Social Skills Training Group in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Effectiveness Analysis

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
May 15, 2023
Registry last updated
Jul 31, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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