Promoting social skill development in children with pervasive developmental disorders: a feasibility and efficacy...

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Pediatric Behavioral Health

Background:

• Pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) present significant challenges in social interaction.
• Effective social skills interventions are crucial for improving the quality of life for affected children.
• Existing interventions require further evaluation for feasibility and efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a social skills intervention for children with PDDs.
• To assess parent satisfaction with the group intervention program.
• To identify challenges and guide future research in social skills training for this population.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial design was utilized.
• Forty-four children (ages 8-11) were randomized to a 16-week treatment group or a waitlist control.
• Intervention focused on teaching appropriate social behaviors in a group setting.

Main Results:

• Children in the treatment group showed improvements on the primary outcome measure (unblinded parent report).
• No significant improvements were observed on the secondary outcome measure (parent questionnaire).
• Parents reported high satisfaction with the intervention's acceptability.

Conclusions:

• The social skills intervention demonstrates feasibility and acceptability for families of children with PDDs.
• Preliminary evidence suggests potential efficacy, warranting further investigation.
• Future research should address methodological challenges in social skills intervention studies.