Closing the Gap: A Randomized Trial Targeting Daily Living Skills in Autistic Adolescents

Autistic adolescents without an intellectual disability (ID) have daily living skills (DLS) that are approximately 6 years below peers. This study evaluated the efficacy of the Surviving and Thriving in the Real World (STRW) intervention, which targets DLS, compared to an active control group. Autistic adolescents were randomized to STRW or control. The primary outcome was the caregiver-reported Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, 3rd Edition (VABS-3) DLS domain and Personal, Domestic, and Community sub-domains. The secondary outcome was DLS Goal Attainment Scaling (DLS-GAS) caregiver interview. Compared to control (n = 22), autistic teens in STRW (n = 26) made significant improvements on the VABS-3 DLS domain (p = .04) and Domestic sub-domain (p = .01) and the DLS-GAS areas of Cooking, Laundry, and Money Management (all p's < .05). STRW narrowed the gap between DLS and age as autistic adolescents acquired age-appropriate domestic, personal, and community DLS compared to the control group.