<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-009_s_001"><h3>Background</h3><p>Social skills group training is an intervention method that has demonstrated moderate evidence of improvement among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). KONTAKT is a manualized social skills group training program that was developed in Germany and that has demonstrated preliminary evidence of positive effect. In this study, we describe its adaptation to Scandinavian settings.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-009_s_002"><h3>Objective</h3><p>The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical feasibility of the Swedish version of KONTAKT. The program was piloted in two outpatient departments in Stockholm County.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-009_s_003"><h3>Method</h3><p>A convergent mixed-method approach that involved both quantitative (ratings scales for ASD, clinical severity, and adaptive functioning) and qualitative (semi-structured interviewing) evaluation was applied. Twenty-two children and adolescents with high-functioning ASD between the ages of 8 and 17 years and their parents were enrolled in a one-group trial and completed assessments before and after KONTAKT training.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-009_s_004"><h3>Results</h3><p>The quantitative evaluation showed improvements in social communication and global everyday functioning; the qualitative evaluations yielded general treatment satisfaction. Twenty of the 22 enrolled adolescents (91%) completed the training.</p></sec><sec id="j_sjcapp-2016-009_s_005"><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>These findings suggest that the Swedish adaptation of KONTAKT is feasible for Scandinavian clinical settings. It is currently being examined for efficacy and effectiveness in the largest multicenter randomized controlled trial of social skills group training in patients with ASD that has ever been undertaken (NCT01854346).</p></sec></abstract>

BackgroundSocial skills group training is an intervention method that has demonstrated moderate evidence of improvement among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). KONTAKT is a manualized social skills group training program that was developed in Germany and that has demonstrated preliminary evidence of positive effect. In this study, we describe its adaptation to Scandinavian settings.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical feasibility of the Swedish version of KONTAKT. The program was piloted in two outpatient departments in Stockholm County.MethodA convergent mixed-method approach that involved both quantitative (ratings scales for ASD, clinical severity, and adaptive functioning) and qualitative (semi-structured interviewing) evaluation was applied. Twenty-two children and adolescents with high-functioning ASD between the ages of 8 and 17 years and their parents were enrolled in a one-group trial and completed assessments before and after KONTAKT training.ResultsThe quantitative evaluation showed improvements in social communication and global everyday functioning; the qualitative evaluations yielded general treatment satisfaction. Twenty of the 22 enrolled adolescents (91%) completed the training.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that the Swedish adaptation of KONTAKT is feasible for Scandinavian clinical settings. It is currently being examined for efficacy and effectiveness in the largest multicenter randomized controlled trial of social skills group training in patients with ASD that has ever been undertaken (NCT01854346).

Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the KONTAKT Social Skills Group Training Program for Children and Adolescents with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A feasibility Study

Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

BackgroundSocial skills group training is an intervention method that has demonstrated moderate evidence of improvement among children and adolescents with...

Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the KONTAKT Social Skills Group Training Program for Children and Adolescents with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A feasibility Study

Article Category: research-article

Published Online: Nov 30, 2015

Page range: 46 - 54

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/sjcapp-2016-009

Keywords
intervention, therapy, feasibility, psychiatry, autism spectrum disorder, Asperger syndrome

© 2016 Nora Choque Olsson et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the KONTAKT Social Skills Group Training Program for Children and Adolescents with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A feasibility Study

Article Category: research-article

Published Online: Nov 30, 2015

Page range: 46 - 54

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/sjcapp-2016-009

Keywordsintervention, therapy, feasibility, psychiatry, autism spectrum disorder, Asperger syndrome

© 2016 Nora Choque Olsson et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
intervention, therapy, feasibility, psychiatry, autism spectrum disorder, Asperger syndrome