This study examined predictors of treatment outcomes for adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder who participated in the START social skills group. The researchers found that pre-treatment positive facial expressions and gender predicted post-treatment positive facial expressions. Specifically, females generally displayed more positive facial expressions than males after completing the program. The study concluded that understanding gender differences in social skills training outcomes could help improve the effectiveness of such programs.

1. BACKGROUND
• Social skills groups have shown to be an effec6ve interven6on
for improving social intelligence for individuals with Au6sm
Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (Barry et al., 2003)
• Previous studies that have inves6gated predictors of treatment
outcome found that age, IQ, and au6sm severity were
significant predictors for adap6ve func6oning post-treatment
(Perry et al., 2011)
• Gender has also been inves6gated as a predictor. One study
found that female adolescents with ASD are more mo6vated
to engage in social interac6ons and have more posi6ve views
of friendships than male adolescents with ASD (Sedgewick et
al., 2015)
• The limited amount of research on outcome predictors
requires more explora6on in order to determine the
effec6veness of social skills groups
Predictors of Treatment Outcome for the START Socializa?on
Interven?on for Adolescents with Au?sm Spectrum Disorder
Reyna Rincon, Alvin Chiu, Jordan Ko, Amber Miller, Ty Vernon
University of California, Santa Barbara
OBJECTIVES
To examine predictors of outcome for a non-verbal social skill
(posi6ve facial expressions) for adolescents with ASD following
par6cipa6on in the START program
METHODS
Measures
Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT): Brief measure of
overall IQ
Video conversa?ons: All par6cipants par6cipated in a
naturalis6c five-minute video recorded conversa6on with an
unfamiliar typically developing peer. Conversa6on were held
at baseline and end of treatment (Week 20). Trained research
assistants coded conversa6ons for posi6ve facial expressions
using NOLDUS Observer soware
Posi?ve facial expressions: Research assistants coded the
behavior in 5-second intervals. The presence of posi6ve facial
expressions was coded if par6cipants smiled and/or
laughed during each interval
Analyses
- Hierarchical mul?ple regression
Predictors: Age, Overall IQ, Posi6ve Facial Expressions pre-
scores (baseline), and Gender
START GROUP
Social Tools and Rules for Teens (START)
• 20-week social skills group interven6on for adolescents with ASD
• Inclusion criteria: Ages 12-17 years, verbal IQ of 70 or above
Par?cipants
• 35 adolescents diagnosed with ASD (Male: 24, Female: 11)
• Par6cipants were randomly assigned into treatment or waitlist group (control)
• Typically developing high school peers and undergraduate facilitators
par6cipated in the program
Table 1: Variable Descrip6ve Sta6s6cs and Correla6ons Among Variables
Note: Posi6ve Facial Expressions was measured as the average percentage of 6me displaying posi6ve facial expressions during
five-minute video-recorded conversa6on
* p < .05, ** p < .01
Table 2: Predic6ng Posi6ve Facial Expressions (Post Treatment)
Two variables significantly
correlated with the posi6ve
facial expressions scores aer
treatment:
1) Posi6ve Facial Expressions
Pre-Scores
2) Gender
The β value is a measure of how strongly each individual predictor variable influences the dependent variable (posi6ve facial
expression (post)).
Both Gender and
Posi6ve Facial
Expression Pre-Scores
posi6vely predicted the
Posi6ve Facial
Expression Post-Scores
Table 3: Summary of Hierarchical Regression Analysis for
Variables Predic6ng Posi6ve Facial Expressions (Post Treatment)
Note: N = 35; * p < .05, ** p < .01
DATA TABLES
Y(Predicted Posi?ve Facial Expression (Post)) = 9.40 + 0.63 * (Posi?ve Facial Expression (Pre))+ 17.19 *(Gender)
• Step 1 Results: Posi6ve Facial Expressions (Pre) contributed
significantly to the regression model, F (1,30) = 10.10, p <.001, and
accounted for 25.2% of the varia6on in Posi6ve Facial Expressions
(Post)
• Step 2 Results: Gender also contributed significantly to the model,
F(2,29) = 8.20, p<0.001, and explained an addi6onal 10.9% of varia6on
in Posi6ve Facial Expression (Post)
• The two variables (Posi6ve Facial Expression (Pre) and Gender)
accounted for 36% of the variance in Posi6ve Facial Expression (Post)
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES
Sedgewick, F., Hill, V., Yates, R., Pickering, L., & Pellicano, E. (2016). Gender differences in the social mo6va6on and
friendship experiences of au6s6c and non-au6s6c adolescents. Journal of Au9sm and Developmental Disorders,46(4),
1297-1306.
Perry, A., Cummings, A., Geier, J. D., Freeman, N. L., Hughes, S., Managhan, T., . . . Williams, J. (2011). Predictors of
outcome for children receiving intensive behavioral interven6on in a large, community-based program. Research in
Au9sm Spectrum Disorders, 5(1), 592-603.
Barry, T. D., Klinger, L. G., Lee, J. M., Palardy, N., Gilmore, T., & Bodin, S. D.
(2003). Examining the effec6veness of an outpa6ent clinic-based social skills group for high-func6oning children with
au6sm. Journal of Au9sm and Developmental Disorders, 33(6), 685-701.
SUMMARY OF DATA
• As expected, posi6ve facial expressions pre-scores posi6vely predicted
posi6ve facial expressions post-scores. However, gender was also a
significant predictor for posi6ve facial expressions post-scores, even aer
controlling for posi6ve facial expressions pre-scores
• Females generally displayed more posi6ve facial expression than males by
the end of treatment
• Further understanding of why genders have different performances will allow
bemer formanng of social skills groups to maximize treatment effec6veness
• Future research should inves6gate non-demographic predictors of outcome
(i.e. pre-treatment survey scores, post-treatment self-reported enjoyment of
group, etc.) for social skills groups
START Program
• Individual check-in session
• Free 6me to socialize with peers
• Interac6ve role-play
• Discussion about a weekly social skills
topic
• Team-building ac6vity
• Check-out session with parent
Funding for this study was provided by the Organiza?on for Au?sm Research (OAR)