Generalisation of Social Communication Skills by Autistic Children During Play-Based Assessments Across Home, School and an Unfamiliar Research Setting.
Sophie Carruthers, Tony Charman, Kathy Leadbitter and 17 others
PMID 38743153WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic children generalised social communication skills from home to school and to an unfamiliar researcher.
This transfer was stronger from the parent than the teaching assistant. Age, IQ and repetitive behaviours did not affect this generalisation.
Key findings
01Social communication gains with parents at home predicted better skills with an unfamiliar researcher at the end of the study.
02Gains with teaching assistants at school did not predict better skills with the researcher once home and school contexts were analysed together.
03Age, non-verbal IQ and levels of restricted and repetitive behaviours did not moderate the extent to which children generalised these skills.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample had high levels of autism symptoms and limited language abilities, so findings may not apply to autistic children with higher verbal skills. The study analysed general social communication scores rather than specific individual behaviours, so it is unclear if a child learns one specific skill (like eye contact) and transfers it, or if they develop a broader style of interaction. There was no non-autistic control group, so we cannot determine if these generalisation patterns differ from neurotypical development. The original trial intervention did not show a significant effect on the primary outcome, meaning these findings describe natural development and generalisation patterns within the cohort rather than the specific efficacy of the PACT-G therapy.
Declared interests
The paper does not explicitly state funding sources or conflict of interest declarations in the provided text, though it notes the study was part of the PACT-G trial (ISRCTN Registration: 25378536).
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these findings as proof that the PACT-G intervention works. The parent trial showed no significant effect on autism symptoms compared to treatment as usual. This analysis describes how children's skills naturally transferred between settings over time, regardless of whether they received the specific therapy or standard care.