Adapting Evidence-based Social Skills Training for Children with High Functioning Autism (HFA)

NIMH
ID: HHSN278200553102C
PI: MELISSA DEROSIER, PHD
TERM: 10/05 – 04/06

Social skills deficits are often considered the hallmark of autism. Individuals with high functioning autism and Asperger’s Syndrome typically have pervasive social skill deficits and poor relationships with their peers, despite relatively intact cognitive functioning. Improvement in the area of social functioning can be very challenging for these children. Existing social skills interventions, in particular programs that have undergone efficacy testing, are lacking. At the same time, the federal government and the Autism Society of America report that the development of research-based materials to meet the needs of autistic children is a high priority.

The goal of this Phase I project was to create a new intervention for children with HFA/AS that combined multi-media materials (e.g., video, written, experiential) in a multi-component framework (i.e., involving children, parents, and teachers) to directly address the needs of children ages 8-12 with HFA/AS. A prototype of the intervention was developed including the Professional Manual, session scripts, parent handouts, child workbook, and community-based exercises. Prototype materials focused on skill training in the following three areas: (1) communication, (2) perspective taking, and (3) initiation and maintenance of friendships. Results of feasibility testing with professionals serving children with HFA/AS and with parents and children showed high enthusiasm for the product. Professionals rated the materials as easy to understand, easy to use, and engaging for children. Program methods to extend training into the home and school environments (parent handouts and resource guide) were seen as highly important. Overall, parents also viewed the prototype materials as being of high quality and highly likely to be effective in teaching social skills to children with HFA/AS. In addition, 100% of parents recommended continued development of the product.

Phase II funding for this program was obtained to continue product development and to conduct a clinic-based efficacy test using an experimental design examining changes in social skills and peer relations in children with HFA/AS who receive the intervention.

S.S.GRIN HFA is now available for purchase. To learn more or to purchase S.S.GRIN HFA, visit 3C Marketplace.

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DEB CHILDRESS, PHD

Chief of Research and Learning Content

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Childress obtained her PhD in psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to coming to 3C Institute, she served as a research associate and a postdoctoral fellow in the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill working on a longitudinal imaging study aimed at identifying the early markers of autism through behavioral and imaging methodologies. She has 19 years of autism research experience, during which she has examined the behavioral, personality, and cognitive characteristics of individuals with autism and their family members. Dr. Childress also has experience developing behavioral and parent report measurement tools, coordinating multi-site research studies, and collecting data from children and families. She has taught courses and seminars in general child development, autism, and cognitive development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Expertise

  • autism
  • early development
  • behavioral measurement
  • integrating behavioral and biological measurement

Education

  • Postdoctoral fellowship, Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (Institutional NRSA-NICHD), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • PhD, developmental psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • BS, psychology (minor in sociology), University of Iowa

Selected Publications

  • Elison, J. T., Wolff, J. J., Heimer, D. C., Paterson, S. J., Gu, H., Hazlett, H. C., Styner, M, Gerig, G., & Piven, J. (in press). Frontolimbic neural circuitry at 6 months predicts individual differences in joint attention at 9 months. Developmental Science.
  • Wassink, T. H., Vieland, V. J., Sheffield, V. C., Bartlett, C. W., Goedken, R., Childress, D. & Piven, J. (2008). Posterior probability of linkage analysis of autism dataset identifies linkage to chromosome 16. Psychiatric Genetics,18(2),85-91.
  • Losh, M., Childress, D., Lam K. & Piven, J. (2008). Defining key features of the broad autism phenotype: A comparison across parents of multiple- and single-incidence autism families. American Journal of Medical Genetics (Neuropsychiatric Genetics), 147B(4):424-33.
  • Wassink, T. H., Piven, J., Vieland, V. J., Jenkins, L., Frantz R., Bartlett, C. W., Goedken, R., … Sheffield, V.C. (2005). Evaluation of the chromosome 2q37.3 gene CENTG2 as an autism susceptibility gene. American Journal of Medical Genetics (Neuropsychiatric Genetics), 136, 36-44.
  • Barrett, S., Beck, J., Bernier, R., Bisson, E., Braun, T., Casavant, T., Childress, D., … Vieland, V. (1999). An autosomal genomic screen for autism. American Journal of Medical Genetics (Neuropsychiatric Genetics), 88, 609-615. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8628(19991215)88:63.0.CO;2-L
  • Piven, J., Palmer, P., Landa, R., Santangelo, S., Jacobi, D. & Childress, D. (1997). Personality and language characteristics in parents from multiple-incidence autism families. American Journal of Medical Genetics (Neuropsychiatric Genetics), 74, 398-411.
  • Piven, J., Palmer, P., Jacobi, D., Childress, D. & Arndt, S. (1997). Broader autism phenotype: Evidence from a family history study of multiple-incidence autism families. American Journal of Psychiatry, 154, 185-190.