A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of Parent-Assisted Children's Friendship Training to Improve Social Skills and Friendship Quality in Children with Autism in Malaysia

Parent perspectives on treatment: A mixed methods analysis of PEERS® for Preschoolers

LAY ABSTRACT

Autistic children have social communication differences that can contribute to difficulties making and keeping friends, as well as poor mental health (e.g. anxiety, depression). Social skills training programs for preschoolers on the spectrum have been shown to increase social functioning and improve outcomes. Parent involvement in these programs is essential, as parents are able to use the intervention strategies outside of sessions. Teaching parents skills to help their children is also thought to reduce parenting stress through empowerment, knowledge, and social support. However, we still do not know much about how parents experience social skills treatments and whether there are specific parts that are especially helpful to them. This study examined parent perspectives on the University of California, Los Angeles Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) for Preschoolers, an evidence-based, group social skills intervention for autistic young children who are struggling socially. Twenty-four parents reported on their child's progress through questionnaires and participated in semi-structured interviews that asked about their experiences and perspectives 1-5 years after completing (PEERS®) for Preschoolers. Parents reported that their children displayed increased social skills and confidence after (PEERS®) for Preschoolers, while parents described feeling more positive, supported, and having greater understanding of their child and their development. Those parents who continued to use strategies taught in (PEERS®) for Preschoolers, particularly priming and preparing their child for social activities, showed greater improvements in long-term child outcomes and parenting stress. Overall, findings show that parents had a positive experience during and after PEERS® for Preschoolers, finding the program helpful in multiple ways to both their child and to themselves as a parent.

The hidden curves of risk: a nonlinear model of cumulative risk and school bullying victimization among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

BACKGROUND

School bullying victimization (SBV) occurs more frequently in students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in general education than in special classes, and there is a cumulative risk effect on SBV exposure among young people with ASD reported by their parents and teachers. However, SBV is a personal experience, the predictive patterns of cumulative risk on SBV reported by themselves and its psychological mechanism remain unclear. This study aims to explore the relationship between cumulative risk and SBV based on self-report, and to test whether internalizing problems mediates this relationship among adolescents with ASD placed in regular classes.

METHODS

This study used data from the Taiwan Special Needs Education Longitudinal Study (SNELS) in 2011. The analysis included 508 adolescents with ASD who were in regular classes across Taiwan. The primary variables under study were the quality of friendship interactions, teacher-student relationship, school connection, perceived stigma, the impact caused by the disabilities, internalizing problem, and whether the participants had experienced SBV over the past semester, while control variables were adaptability and social-emotional skills. Established risk factors were summed to form a cumulative risk score.

RESULTS

The cumulative risk was positively associated with SBV. The relationship was characterized by the nonlinear pattern of the quadratic function (negative acceleration model) between cumulative risk and SBV. Internalizing problem played a partial mediating role in the effect of cumulative risk on SBV.

CONCLUSIONS

Intervention measures to reduce SBV should include the strategies to reduce the number of risks to which adolescents with ASD in regular classes are exposed, comprehensive prevention targeting each risk factor is needed specially when the number of risks is one or two, and more attention needs to be given to their internalizing problem in various ways.

Parents' Experience in Children's Friendship Training Programme for Their Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Qualitative Inquiry

Background: Children’s Friendship Training (CFT) is a parent-assisted intervention programme that introduces children to basic sets of social rules to help them understand social contexts with specific guidance from their parents. It has been reported in several empirical studies that the friendship skills of children with autism spectrum disorder were enhanced after participating in CFT. However, previous studies only focused on the effectiveness of the training without exploring it from the parent’s perspective. As such, the objective of this study is to highlight the parents’ experience in assisting in the implementation of CFT. Purpose: To explore the parents’ experiences with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in CFT and examine the experiences using the CFT as a theoretical framework. Methodology: In this study, eight parents and their school-aged children with ASD participated in 12 CFT sessions. Upon completing the CFT, the parents participated in a focus group interview. The interview session was video recorded and transcribed with the parents’ consent. Thematic analysis was employed in analysing the collected data as outlined in six different phases. Results: The generated data revealed the similarities and differences in parents’ experiences in the CFT. The current study has identified four main themes: (1) fear and resistance; (2) awareness, learning, and adjustment; (3) change is hard; and (4) identifying support. Conclusions: The findings highlighted the processes that these parents experienced and encountered while attending the CFT programme, it is important to consider these processes based on how they might impact the effectiveness of the programme. The programme’s effectiveness is reliant on the ability to work closely with parents to understand their challenges and explore the type of support they need. This study has analysed the crucial factors that provide an overview of parents’ encounters in their participation in CFT.