Development of a Novel Social Skills Training Curriculum

Background:  

Social skill deficits are a key area of difficulty for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).  Given the limited attention focused on treating this core feature of ASD, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of D-Cycloserine was combined with an intensive social skills training curriculum.  D-Cycloserine was selected based on prior research that has demonstrated its ability to enhance learning.  Few comprehensive social skills programs have been developed for use with children ages five- to eleven-years-old. Therefore, careful consideration had to be given to the type of social skills curriculum utilized in this study. 

Objectives:  

The objective of this study was the development of a manualized social skills curriculum for use as part of a study of D-Cycloserine.   

Methods:  

After a thorough search of published curriculums and literature, it was determined that a novel curriculum should be created given that available curriculums did not meet the needs of the specific age group of children included in the study.  The next decision was which skills should be taught and the method of teaching.  Given the variety of social skill deficits present in children with ASD, this was a very important topic to consider.  Whether the manual should be highly structured or more clinician-driven was also an important determination. Another key consideration was whether typical peers should be included in the group and what their role would entail. A final topic of interest was who should be the group providers. 

Results:  

It was determined that the topics of focus for the curriculum would include greetings, conversations, emotions, and saying good-bye, all of which are basic social skills that are lacking in children with ASD.  An Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) based approach was identified for use in the curriculum based on the empirical support for these teaching strategies within the ASD literature.  Teaching strategies such as the use of visual supports, social stories, role plays, and cooperative activities were used to teach and practice each skill.   Homework was included in order to help reinforce the materials learned in the sessions and to aide in generalization.

A structured manual designed to meet the needs of the group was determined to be the most appropriate in order to promote consistency and reproducibility.  In order to provide models of appropriate behavior, two typical peers were trained and included in each group.     Masters or doctoral-level providers with experience in ABA were selected as facilitators given their level of training with children with ASD. 

Conclusions:  

While the literature on the treatment of children with ASD continues to grow, one area that is particularly lacking is research on the treatment of the core social impairment of this disorder. Social skills training presents with a number of complex study design challenges, all of which must be carefully considered and addressed prior to completion of any social skills research.  This curriculum addresses each design challenge and provides a manualized treatment approach for social skills training of five- to eleven-year-old children with ASD.  Future research into the effectiveness of this manual is necessary.