Enhancement of Social Skills among Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An UCLE Peers Model Approach

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication and interaction deficits, which can significantly impact the quality of life of affected individuals. Lifelong ASD impacts people globally. Some are independent, while others need learning assistance. The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) is an evidence-based social skills intervention that helps autistic and socially challenged adolescents. However, the effectiveness of PEERS has not been thoroughly studied in the Pakistani context. This true experimental study examined the efficacy of PEERS in Pakistani adolescents with ASD. Multi random sampling was used to recruit 98 parents (age; M = 41.60, SD = 3.90) and 63 teachers (age; M = 36.63, SD = 7.80) of 98 adolescents (age; M = 14.39, SD = 1.80) with ASD from two schools in Islamabad and one in Rawalpindi. Participants were randomly assigned into intervention and control group via 1;1 ratio. Data was collected through Quality of Socialization Questionnaire (QSQ), Stanford Social Dimensions Scale (SSDS), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ 28) from Parents and teachers whereas Test of Adolescent Social Skills Knowledge (TASSK) was used to collect data from adolescents with ASD. The findings revealed considerable enhancements in social skills information of adolescents with F (1, 93) = 36.38, p.001, Quality of Socialization (i.e. Social initiation with F (1, 189) = 2.38, p< .05, Social Reciprocity with F (1, 189) = 6.10, p< .05 and reduction in conflicts with F (1, 189) = 17.28, p< .001), Social Skills Dimensions (i.e. Social Motivation with F (1, 54) = 19.13, p< .001, Social Affiliation with F (1, 54) = 31.85, p< .001, Expressive Social Communication with F (1, 54) = 47.34, p< .001, and Social Recognition with F (1, 54) = 47.34, p< .001, along with the reduction in Unusual Approach with F (1, 54) = 24.24, p<.001) and General Health by reduction in Bodily Symptoms with F (1, 154) = 6.22, p< .05, Sleep and Anxiety Related Symptoms with F (1, 154) = 4.30, p< .05, Inability to Socialize with F (1, 154) = 13.43, p< .001, and Depression Symptoms with F (1, 154) = 26.13, p<.001 respectively). This study illustrates that the implementation of PEERS can assist parents and caregivers in enhancing adolescent social outcomes. The findings suggest that participation in PEERS can enhance social skills and overall quality of life in adolescents with ASD. This study highlights the importance of culturally suitable early intervention and preventative strategies to tackle social skills deficits in individuals with ASD. The findings of this study demonstrate that the PEERS intervention effectively enhances social skills and enhances the overall quality of life in adolescents with ASD in Pakistan.