A randomized controlled study of parent-assisted Children's Friendship Training with children having autism spectrum disorders

J Autism Dev Disord. 2010 Jul;40(7):827-42. doi: 10.1007/s10803-009-0932-z.

Abstract

This study evaluated Children's Friendship Training (CFT), a manualized parent-assisted intervention to improve social skills among second to fifth grade children with autism spectrum disorders. Comparison was made with a delayed treatment control group (DTC). Targeted skills included conversational skills, peer entry skills, developing friendship networks, good sportsmanship, good host behavior during play dates, and handling teasing. At post-testing, the CFT group was superior to the DTC group on parent measures of social skill and play date behavior, and child measures of popularity and loneliness, At 3-month follow-up, parent measures showed significant improvement from baseline. Post-hoc analysis indicated more than 87% of children receiving CFT showed reliable change on at least one measure at post-test and 66.7% after 3 months follow-up.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Behavior Therapy
  • Child
  • Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / therapy*
  • Female
  • Friends*
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Male
  • Parents*
  • Patient Selection
  • Peer Group
  • Play and Playthings
  • Social Behavior*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Treatment Outcome