Journal Article

“I Met Someone Like Me!”: Autistic Adolescents and Their Parents’ Experience of the KONTAKT® Social Skills Group Training

Black, Melissa H, Bölte Sven, Afsharnejad Bahareh, Picen Tanya, Fridell, Anna, Milne, Kelly, Girdler Sonya, Perry, Jill, Alach Tasha, Falkmer Marita, Coco, Cristina

2022

Overview

This study captured the experiences of 35 autistic adolescents and their parents after completing a 16-session variant of social skills group training KONTAKT® (ACTRN12617001117303). Semi-structured interviews explored participants' and relatives' perceptions of KONTAKT® and associated social outcomes. Adolescents were classified as either high (HR, n = 23) or low (LR, n = 12) responders based on the primary outcome effects during the previous trial. Thematic analysis revealed that both HR and LR participants their parents were satisfied with KONTAKT®, noting consistent patterns of improvement in adolescents' social understanding, communication, relationships, and empowerment, although positive reports were more frequent among HR than LR groups. This study enhances the understanding of the impact of SSGT, which is key in improving their content, principles, and administration.

• Publisher: Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Adolescents / Allied Health Occupations Education / Autism / Autism Spectrum Disorders / Autistic adolescents / Behavior Patterns / Child Health / Communication / Data Analysis / Developed Nations / Empowerment / Focus Groups / Independent Living / Intelligence Quotient / Interpersonal Competence / Interviews / Parents / Parents & parenting / Participant Satisfaction / Psychological Patterns / Semi Structured Interviews / Skills / Social education / Social groups / Social skills / Teenagers / Training