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A Familiarization Protocol Facilitates the Participation of Children with ASD in Electrophysiological Research
Published on: July 31, 2017
Parent-assisted group treatment for friendship problems of children with autism spectrum disorders
Fred Frankel1, Cynthia Whitham
1Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, USA. ffrankel@ucla.edu
Abstract:
Children with Asperger's Disorder or High Functioning Autism are included in regular education classes but find themselves excluded from the social lives of their classmates. This paper briefly reviews studies which attempt to provide them with training to overcome their social difficulties. These interventions have had limited success and have not systematically incorporated the child's parents into the intervention. Children's Friendship Training is a manualized parent-assisted group treatment which teaches social skill through learning and practicing sets of rules of etiquette for key social situations. The treatment approach has been demonstrated to have success in improving friendships of children with autism spectrum disorders. The content of Children's Friendship Training is briefly described and results of controlled studies are reviewed. Limitations of previous research and future directions are also described.
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