Training of Social Skills in Children and Adolescents with Autism: A Review of Empirical Articles

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes deficits in communication and social interaction. The deficit in social skills repertoire is one of the central characteristics of ASD. The literature has indicated that the deficit in social skills
may be a precursor to psychopathologies and social isolation. The aim of this study is to review empirical articles on social skills training in children and adolescents with ASD. A search for empirical studies indexed in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis was conducted using the descriptors “Social Skills” and “Autism.” Studies published between 2017 and 2023 that addressed the theme of social skills training in children and adolescents with autism were selected. The search returned 304 articles, but only seven met the research requirements. Among the articles found, four addressed social conversation and greeting skills, two addressed social
play, and one addressed the skill of perspective-taking. All the selected studies demonstrated methodological rigor and experimental control, and their results pointed to the effectiveness of training in promoting the repertoire of important skills for social interaction in children and adolescents with ASD. However, there are limitations in the studies found, such as the lack
of long-term follow-up and scarcity of studies with adolescents. Future research is suggested to investigate the effectiveness of social skills training in different ages, contexts, and with follow-up. This study found a scarcity of empirical studies on social skills training in children and adolescents with ASD. However, the results found provide some empirical evidence of the effectiveness of some social skills training. This information may be useful for professionals working with children and adolescents with ASD, helping them to choose therapeutic strategies to improve the quality of life of these individuals.