By teaching social rules thought to be necessary for social competence, social skills training (SST) curricula aim to improve indicators of well-being for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), such as the attainment of meaningful friendships. However, several recent meta-analyses indicate that SST curricula may fall short of these goals. We offer an explanation for these potentially null effects by illustrating how the content of these curricula diverge from empirical evidence derived from disciplines that take social interaction as their object of study. Next, we argue that employing the social rules advocated for by SST curricula may work counterproductively by inhibiting authenticity, while at the same time increasing stigma associated with ASD. We close with suggestions for future intervention research.

Differences in social functioning are a hallmark feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and much research has been devoted to locating cognitive and developmental explanations for this domain. To sort through this literature, we conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis that quantifies the extent to which several of these candidate constructs are associated with social functioning. We gathered 881 effect sizes calculated from 133 unique participant samples, and synthesized Pearson's r correlations between social functioning and three cognitive constructs; (a) theory of mind (ToM), (b) executive function, and (c) central coherence, and five developmental constructs: (d) initiating joint attention, (e) responding to joint attention, (f) imitation, (g) pretend play, and (h) visual fixation to social stimuli. We synthesized effect sizes using robust variance estimation for each putative correlate, for populations with ASD and typical development (TD) separately. We also conducted a series of meta‐regressions to determine if sample and study features moderated effect sizes. We found that, in the ASD group, effect size estimates were significant and small (<0.30) for ToM, executive function, and initiating joint attention. Effect size estimates were significant and moderate (0.30 < r < 0.50) for imitation and response to joint attention. In the TD group, effect size estimates for ToM, executive function, and initiating joint attention were significant and small. In a meta‐regression collapsed across correlates, we found that effect sizes were significantly larger in the ASD group (P < 0.05) and decreased as mental age increased (P < 0.001). Autism Res 2019, 12: 152–175 © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Lay Summary In this meta‐analysis, we found that correlations between social functioning and several constructs used to explain the developmental or cognitive origins of social functioning were quite low. This could mean that researchers will need to develop new theories about social functioning in ASD.

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Describing how caregivers' talk to their autistic children, and how their talk may influence social and language outcomes, has important implications for developmental theory and intervention research. In this systematic literature review, we examine 294 caregiver talk variables extracted from 65 studies, provide a narrative overview of research findings, and link measurement approaches to various theories of language development. The majority of variables included only talk directed to children (90%), and specified the speech act being performed (57%). More than one‐third of variables measured talk that was responsive to children's attention, activities, or communication (38%), and slightly less than a third measured variables that elicited children's communication or engagement. Semantic aspects of talk were specified in 41% of variables, structural features were measured in 20% of variables, and suprasegmental features were measured in only 1% of variables. Talk quantity (without reference to other aspects of talk) was measured in 8% of variables. We found strong support that talk related to children's attention is implicated in autistic children's language development, but this construct has been measured inconsistently in terms of semantic, structural, and functional features. There is also evidence for bi‐directional relationships between caregiver's talk and autistic children's development on a variety of semantic and structural variables. Lay Summary In our review, we found many differences in how researchers measured caregiver's talk, but also some promising leads. Researchers should continue examining caregiver talk related to children's focus of attention to clarify how this type of language contributes to autistic children's development. We also found interesting research on how children influence caregiver's talk, and encourage researchers to continue to study how this occurs.