Cognitive-behavioural group therapy for youth with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders demonstrates modest effects on social responsiveness

摘要

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS TOPIC? Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) occur in ~1 in 63 children/adolescents and are characterised by impairments in cognition, communication and/or social responsiveness and interaction. A number of interventions have been developed and studied to target the social skills of children and adolescents with ASD. One particularly promising group intervention, namely the Social Skills Training Autism-Frankfurt (SOSTA-FRA), targets social motivation, social cognition, self-regulation and peer interaction using cognitive-behavioural treatment techniques provided using multiple methods (ie, social learning, computer-based, behavioural, cognitive methods) within a structured framework. Preliminary data have shown promising treatment effects and acceptability; further study in a controlled setting is necessary.