KONTAKT© for Australian adolescents on the autism spectrum: protocol of a randomized control trial

Abstract

BackgroundIndividuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience impairing challenges in social communication and interaction across multiple contexts. While social skills group training (SSGT) has shown moderate effects on various sociability outcomes in ASD, there is a need for (1) replication of effects in additional clinical and cultural contexts, (2) designs that employ active control groups, (3) calculation of health economic benefits, (4) identification of the optimal training duration, and (5) measurement of individual goals and quality of life outcomes.Method/designWith the aim of investigating the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a SSGT, KONTAKT©, a two-armed randomized control trial with adolescents aged 12–17 years (N = 90) with ASD and an intelligence quotient (IQ) of over 70 will be undertaken. Following stratification for centre and gender, participants will be randomly assigned to either KONTAKT© or to an active control group, a group-based cooking programme. Participants will attend both programmes in groups of 6–8 adolescents, over 16 one-and-a-half-hour sessions. The primary outcome examined is adolescent self-rated achievement of personally meaningful social goals as assessed via the Goal Attainment Scaling during an interview with a blinded clinician. Secondary outcomes include adolescent self-reported interpersonal efficacy, quality of life, social anxiety, loneliness, face emotion recognition performance and associated gaze behaviour, and parent proxy reports of autistic traits, quality of life, social functioning, and emotion recognition and expression. Cost-effectiveness will be investigated in relation to direct and indirect societal and healthcare costs.DiscussionThe primary outcomes of this study will be evidenced in the anticipated achievement of adolescents’ personally meaningful social goals following participation in KONTAKT© as compared to the active control group. This design will enable rigorous evaluation of the efficacy of KONTAKT©, exercising control over the possibly confounding effect of exposure to a social context of peers with a diagnosis of ASD.Trial registrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR). ACTRN12617001117303. Registered on 31 July 2017. anzctr.org.auClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03294668. Registered on 22 September 2017. https://clinicaltrials.gov

Efectos del ejercicio físico en la calidad de vida de niñas, niños y adolescentes con autismo

“…Anteriores estudios han expuesto que la conducta y el comportamiento son dos aspectos que se encuentran alterados en niños/as y adolescentes con TEA (Afsharnejad et al, 2019;Morales et al, 2021). Esto, en muchas ocasiones, genera menores oportunidades para participar de manera activa en su vida social (Zhao et al, 2021) y en programas de actividad física y/o ejercicio físico.…”

“…El trastorno del especto autista (TEA) es una afección del desarrollo neurobiológico, diagnosticado normalmente en la infancia o en las primeras etapas de la vida (Afsharnejad et al, 2019) y con una incidencia del 1 % de la población mundial (Toscano et al, 2021). El TEA implica, principalmente, dificultades en la interacción social, la comunicación, el comportamiento (Morales et al, 2021) y en intereses y actividades del día a día, que conducen a un deterioro cualitativo en áreas fundamentales de la vida diaria (Afsharnejad et al, 2019) provocando una afección significativa en el desarrollo de los menores y sus familias (Zhao y Chen, 2018).…”

“He Sees his Autism as a Strength, Not a Deficit Now”: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study Investigating the Impact of Strengths-Based Programs on Autistic Adolescents

“…Participating in community activities which tap interests and build skills positively impact the health and well-being (Putnam, 2000 ) and quality of life (Tobin et al, 2014 ) of autistic adolescents. Building new friendships is frequently an important goal for autistic adolescents, but a goal they struggle to achieve (Afsharnejad et al, 2019 ; Diener et al, 2016 ). These strengths-based programs appeared to buffer adolescents’ feelings of social isolation and exclusion (Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect), 2013 ; Whitehouse et al, 2009 ).…”

Feasibility and cross-cultural validation of an adapted social skills group training programme (KONTAKT™ CHILD) for Chinese autistic children: a wait-list RCT protocol

“…Common process factors measurements include alliance (Therapeutic Alliance Scales for Children [74, 75]) and readiness for change (Preparedness for Participating in KONTAKT TM Scale [76]). Cost-effectiveness outcomes include healthcare consumption and productivity loss (the tailored version of the Treatment Inventory of Costs in Patients with Psychiatric Disorders - Child Version [77, 78]) and health-related quality of life (Child Health Utility 9D [79], EQ-5D-Y [80]).…”