The purpose of this study is to examine changes in adaptive functioning, quality of life, and prospective memory among adults with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) who complete Strengthening Skills, a multi-faceted, behavioral intervention that combines the PEERS Social Skills program with cognitive compensation training, mindfulness-based emotional regulation, and support group components. Participants and their study partners (e.g., spouse, parent, friend) will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: Strengthening Skills, PEERS only, or a delayed treatment control group. The Strengthening Skills group will meet weekly for 3 hours for 16 weeks and will learn strategies for gaining and maintaining independence and emotion regulation. Participants will also learn strategies from the PEERS Social Skills Program. The PEERS only group will meet weekly for 1.5 hours for 16 weeks and will only learn strategies from the PEERS Social Skills Program. The delayed treatment control group will participant in data collection at four time points over a 10-month wait period, after which, they will be enrolled into the Strengthening Skills Program. Behavioral self-report data will be collected and a prospective memory assessment will be conducted before and after participation in the 16-week programs. Behavioral self-report data will also be collected at remote 3- and 6-month follow-up visits.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
42
The Strengthening Skills Program is a new, multi-component intervention. It includes three components: (1) Forming habits to compensate for the difficulties many adults with ASD have with thinking flexibly, planning, and time management. It will emphasize habit-forming behaviors to compensate for weaknesses in functional skills by training on practical techniques; (2) Content from the PEERS Social Skills program to target social challenges, and (3) strategies derived from Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction to target emotion regulation.
PEERS® is a well-established social communication training program, initially developed for adolescents, and more recently extended to young adults with ASD. Program content will be adapted slightly so as to be appropriate for older adults.
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona, United States
Mean Change from Baseline in Adaptive Functioning on the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Third Edition (ABAS-3)
The ABAS-3 Adult Form is a self and other-report questionnaire designed specifically for adult participants (ages 16 to 89), which yields standard scores (Mean = 100, Standard Deviation = 15) in three adaptive domains (i.e., Conceptual, Social, and Practical) and a General Adaptive Composite (GAC). Scores range from 40 to 120 with higher scores indicating better adaptive functioning.
Time frame: Post-Intervention (16 weeks); 3-month follow-up; 6-month follow-up
Mean Change from Baseline in Self-reported Quality of Life on the World Health Organization's Brief Quality of Life assessment (WHOQOL-BREF)
The WHOQOL-BREF is an abbreviated version of the World Health Organization's Quality of Life assessment (WHOQOL-100). 26-item self-report questionnaire that yields an Overall Quality of Life and General Health score and four quality of life domain scores: physical health, psychological, social relationships, and environment. Scores range from 0 to 100 on all domains, with higher scores indicating better quality of life.
Time frame: Post-Intervention (16 weeks); 3-month follow-up; 6-month follow-up
Mean Change from Baseline in Prospective Memory on the Royal Prince Alfred Prospective Memory Test
4-item behavioral measure of prospective memory. Each item has a maximum score of three points, with a total possible score of 12 points. Scores range from 0 to 12, with higher scores indicating better prospective memory.
Time frame: Post-Intervention (16 weeks)
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