Efficacy of Group Social Skills Interventions for Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Clinical Psychology Review
Gates, J. A., Kang, E., et al. (2017).
Clinical Psychology Review, 52, 164-181.
This meta-analysis investigates the effects of group-based social skills interventions on social competence outcomes in children and adolescents, up to 21 years of age, on the autism spectrum.
Not stated
To January 2016
Randomized controlled trials
19
The findings from this meta-analysis show that group-based social skills interventions (GSSIs) result in moderate (g = 0.51) improvements in overall social competence in children on the autism spectrum compared to no treatment controls. Results varied by source of intervention effect. "Parents and observers report small effects of GSSIs, and task-based measures yield medium effects. Teachers appear not to see effects of GSSIs. While youth with ASD self-report large effects, these changes appear entirely attributable to changes in social knowledge; when social knowledge measures are excluded, youth self-report no changes in GSSIs" (p. 175).
