Rachael A. Smith

Comparison of Adaptive Behavior Measures for Children with HFASDs

Adaptive behavior rating scales are frequently used to gather information on the adaptive functioning of children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs), yet little is known about the extent to which these measures yield comparable results. This study was conducted to (a) document the parent-rated VABS-II, BASC-2, and ABAS-II adaptive behavior profiles of 6- to 11-year-olds with HFASDs (including relative strengths and weaknesses); (b) examine the extent to which these measures yielded similar scores on comparable scales; and (c) assess potential discrepancies between cognitive ability and adaptive behavior across the measures. All three adaptive measures revealed significant deficits overall for the sample, with the VABS-II and ABAS-II indicating relative weaknesses in social skills and strengths in academic-related skills. Cross-measure comparisons indicated significant differences in the absolute magnitude of scores. In general, the VABS-II yielded significantly higher scores than the BASC-2 and ABAS-II. However, the VABS-II and ABAS-II yielded scores that did not significantly differ for adaptive social skills which is a critical area to assess for children with HFASDs. Results also indicated significant discrepancies between the childrens average IQ score and their scores on the adaptive domains and composites of the three adaptive measures.

Open-Trial Pilot Study of a Comprehensive School-Based Intervention for High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders

There is a notable lack of manualized comprehensive school-based interventions (CSBIs) for children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs). This pilot study examined the feasibility and initial efficacy of a CSBI for 12 children with HFASDs, aged 6 to 9 years. Treatment included a 3-week summer preparation program followed by a 10-month CSBI, composed of social skills groups, therapeutic activities, face and voice emotion recognition instruction, an individual daily note, and parent training. Feasibility was supported in high levels of treatment fidelity and teacher- and parent-reported acceptability and satisfaction. Pre–post comparisons suggested that children significantly improved their knowledge of target social skills and ability to identify emotions in facial and vocal expressions. According to parent and teacher ratings, children displayed gains in their use of target social skills and broader social performance, as well as reductions in ASD-related features.

Open-Trial Pilot of "Mind Reading" and in Vivo Rehearsal for Children with HFASD.

In this pilot study, the authors evaluated a manualized administration of the Mind Reading (MR) program with in vivo rehearsal to determine the effects on emotion recognition and autism features of eleven 7- to 12-year-old children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders (HFASD), and to determine the overall feasibility of the intervention. Following 12 sessions of MR over 6 weeks (M = 15.87 hr per child), emotion recognition and ability to display emotion were rated to be significantly higher than pretest. Significant reductions were found on ratings of autism-associated symptoms on a standardized rating scale completed by parents. Assessment of feasibility indicated high levels of treatment fidelity and high levels of parent- and child-reported satisfaction. Effect size estimates were medium to large for scales on which significant changes were observed. Implications for more controlled studies are proposed.

Community Trial of a Comprehensive Psychosocial Treatment for HFASDs

This community effectiveness trial examined the feasibility and efficacy of a comprehensive psychosocial treatment for 28 children, aged 7 to 10 years with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs). Treatment included instruction and therapeutic activities targeting social skills, face-emotion recognition skills, interest expansion, and interpretation of non-literal language skills. A behavioral program was instituted to foster skills acquisition and reduce ASD symptoms and problem behaviors. Feasibility was supported in high levels of fidelity and satisfaction. Significant improvements were found for the children’s non-literal language skills and parent ratings of target social and communicative skills, broader social performance, and ASD symptoms. Secondary staff ratings corroborated parent ratings. Results suggest that the treatment, when administered by a community agency, was feasible and yielded positive outcomes similar to prior randomized clinical trials (RCTs).