The Multi-Media Social Skills Project for Adults

The Multi-Media Social Skills Project for Adults: Validation of an Intervention for Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders

This study is investigating the development of a social skills training program for adults with Asperger's Syndrome or high-functioning autism, ages 18 to 35 years. The Principal Investigator for this study is Dr. Michael Murray, the director of the Autism Studies Division at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. The purpose of this study is to adapt a social skills training program to address and enhance the social skills of adults with Asperger's Syndrome and high-functioning autism.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: social skills therapy

Detailed Description

During group study visits, a group of six young adults with Asperger's Syndrome or high-functioning autism will meet weekly for about 90 minutes. The purpose of the group sessions is to work on everyday social skills such as initiating and maintaining conversations, establishing friendships, and dealing with situations such as job interviews and dating.

A generalization session will be held every week after the group therapy session with same-age peers who have been screened to participate in the study. The purpose of including peers in the class is to give young adults with Asperger's syndrome and high-functioning autism a chance to practice the social skills learned in the group study visit with a peer group. Study participants will be paired with a typically developing peer for an outing in the community to a nearby restaurant or shop or an in-class exercise such as a mock job interview.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 199
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States, 17033
      • The Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute Northeast Drive Clinic

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Between 18 and 35 years of age
• Must be a Pennsylvania resident
• A primary diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome or high-functioning autism, as confirmed by the SRS-2
• A verbal IQ of 85 or above on the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test, Second Edition
• English as primary language spoken
• Ability to fluently speak in full sentences

Exclusion Criteria:

• A significant language delay
• Difficulty with aggression directed at peers
• A primary thought disorder
• A secondary disorder of anxiety or depression so severe as to prevent the individual's participation in the treatment
• A current high school student at start of intervention
• Low social motivation demonstrated through formalized assessment and/or by responses given to screening interview

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Social Skills Intervention; The intervention is a 16-week social skills therapy program that will consist of a 90 minute group therapy session followed by a 90 minute peer generalization session meeting once per week. Each cohort will consist of 6 adolescents with Aspergers or high-functioning autism, who will be joined by 6 typically-developing peers for the peer generalization portion. During the group therapy session young adults will discuss and watch video clips addressing social skills topics relevant to their age group. They will have a chance to practice these skills when paired with typically developing peer volunteers.

Behavioral: social skills therapy; Sixteen week manual based social skills curriculum targeting social fluency and responsiveness.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Social Responsiveness Scale - Adult	The Social Responsiveness Scale - Adult is used to measure levels of social awareness, cognition, communication, motivation, and autistic mannerisms in adults.	One week post-intervention
Video recording of Social Interaction	Participants will be filmed in a brief interaction with a typically developing peer which will be coded to obtain social interaction skills and fluency scores.	One week post-intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Achenbach Adult Behavior Checklist	The Achenbach is a 126-item survey that asks about behaviors, problems, and substance use.	One week post-intervention
Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA)	The SELSA is a 37-item survey that assesses friendships and other relationships.	one week post-intervention
Social Skills Inventory (SSI)	The SSI is a 90-item survey that measures social competence.	one week post-intervention
Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN)	The SPIN is a 17-item survey that asks about feelings in social situations.	one week post-intervention
Empathy Quotient	The EQ is a 60-item survey that assesses ability to relate to others.	one week post-intervention
Achenbach Adult Behavior Checklist - Self Report	A 126-item survey that asks about behaviors, problems, and substance use.	one week post-intervention
Social Fluency Assessment	Participants will be filmed in a brief interaction with a typically developing peer. These videos will be analyzed for indicators of social fluency such as eye contact, seconds of silence and number of questions asked.	one week post-intervention
Achenbach Adult Behavior Checklist	The Achenbach is a 126-item survey that asks about behaviors, problems, and substance use.	three months post-intervention
Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA)	The SELSA is a 37-item survey that assesses friendships and other relationships.	three months post-intervention
Social Skills Inventory (SSI)	The SSI is a 90-item survey that measures social competence.	three months post-intervention
Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN)	The SPIN is a 17-item survey that asks about feelings in social situations.	three months post-intervention
Empathy Quotient	The EQ is a 60-item survey that assesses ability to relate to others.	three months post-intervention
Achenbach Adult Behavior Checklist - Self Report	A 126-item survey that asks about behaviors, problems, and substance use.	three months post-intervention
Social Fluency Assessment	Participants will be filmed in a brief interaction with a typically developing peer. These videos will be analyzed for indicators of social fluency such as eye contact, seconds of silence and number of questions asked.	three months post-intervention
Social Responsiveness Scale - Adult	The Social Responsiveness Scale - Adult is used to measure levels of social awareness, cognition, communication, motivation, and autistic mannerisms in adults.	three months post-intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
• Collaborators: Pennsylvania Bureau of Autism Services
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Michael Murray, MD, Penn State College of Medicine

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: July 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 9, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): April 9, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 14, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 14, 2016
• First Posted (Estimate): December 16, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 13, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 11, 2019
• Last Verified: March 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Social Skills; Young adults; Asperger's; High-functioning autism
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: 41078EP

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No