ERIC Number: EJ798477
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Jul
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9630
EISSN: N/A
A Multi-Component Social Skills Intervention for Children with Asperger Syndrome: The Junior Detective Training Program
Beaumont, Renae; Sofronoff, Kate
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, v49 n7 p743-753 Jul 2008
Background: The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a new multi-component social skills intervention for children with Asperger syndrome (AS): The Junior Detective Training Program. This 7-week program included a computer game, small group sessions, parent training sessions and teacher handouts. Method: Forty-nine children with AS were recruited to participate and randomly assigned to intervention (n = 26) or wait-list control (n = 23) conditions. Results: Relative to children in the wait-list group, program participants showed greater improvements in social skills over the course of the intervention, as indicated by parent-report measures. Teacher-report data also confirmed that children receiving the intervention made significant improvements in social functioning from pre- to post-treatment. Treatment group participants were better able to suggest appropriate emotion-management strategies for story characters at post-intervention than at pre-intervention, whereas control participants were not. However, there was no difference in the improvements made by children in the intervention and control conditions on facial expression and body-posture recognition measures. Follow-up data suggested that treatment gains were maintained by children at 5-months post-intervention. Conclusions: The Junior Detective Training Program appeared to be effective in enhancing the social skills and emotional understanding of children with AS. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Descriptors: Nonverbal Communication, Intervention, Asperger Syndrome, Training, Interpersonal Competence, Program Effectiveness, Computers, Games, Self Control, Control Groups, Measures (Individuals), Human Posture
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A