Social skills training for adolescents with Asperger's syndrome using a consultation model

Abstract

A case study design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of behavioural consultation as a method for improving the social skills of adolescents with Asperger's syndrome. Two case studies were conducted. In each study, two teachers implemented a social skills programme with two to three adolescents with Asperger's syndrome in a group setting with typical peers following behavioural consultation. Results from norm‐referenced measures of social skills produced statistically reliable and clinically meaningful changes in teachers' perceptions of target social skills following the intervention in both studies. These gains showed only moderate generalisation to the home setting, though qualitative data suggested that at least some gains had been noticed by parents. Teachers indicated high levels of treatment acceptability and satisfaction with the consultation service, and expressed the intention to implement the programme again in the future. The findings are discussed in light of important methodological limitations; however, they lend support to the hypothesis that behavioural consultation is an acceptable and effective model of service delivery for supporting the social skills needs of students with Asperger's syndrome.