A Replication and Extension of the PEERS® for Young Adults Social Skills Intervention: Examining Effects on Social Skills and Social Anxiety in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Alana J McVey, Bridget K Dolan, Kirsten S Willar and 7 others
PMID 27628940WHAT IT FOUND
Young adults with autism who completed this 16-week social skills group showed better social skills knowledge, empathy, and fewer problem behaviors than those on a waitlist.
They also reported more social interactions. However, the group did not significantly reduce loneliness or social anxiety compared to waitlist controls.
Key findings
01Participants in the intervention group showed significant improvements in social skills knowledge, self-reported empathy, and parent-reported social responsiveness, as well as a reduction in competing problem behaviors, compared to the waitlist group.
02The intervention did not produce statistically significant reductions in self-reported loneliness or social anxiety compared to the waitlist group, despite the sample having high baseline levels of anxiety.
03While the primary multivariate analysis for social anxiety was not significant, exploratory within-group tests suggested a decrease in social anxiety symptoms for the intervention group, though the study was underpowered to confirm this effect.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was small (56 participants) and lacked diversity, being primarily Caucasian and male, which limits generalizability. The study was underpowered to detect effects on social anxiety, requiring over 800 participants for adequate power based on post-hoc analysis. Outcomes relied entirely on self-report and parent-report, with no blinded third-party observation, which may introduce bias given the participants' and parents' awareness of treatment assignment. The internal consistency of the social skills knowledge measure (TYASSK) was very low (.22), raising questions about the reliability of that specific finding. There was no long-term follow-up to assess the durability of social skills gains.
Declared interests
No specific funding sources or conflicts of interest were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the exploratory within-group decrease in social anxiety as evidence that PEERS® treats anxiety. The primary comparison against the waitlist group was not significant, and the study was explicitly underpowered for this outcome. The intervention's demonstrated benefits are for social skills knowledge and behavior, not anxiety reduction.