This study examines the efficacy of a manualized parent-assisted social skills intervention in comparison with a matched Delayed
Treatment Control group to improve friendship quality and social skills among teens 13–17 years of age with autism spectrum
disorders. Targeted skills included conversational skills, peer entry and exiting skills, developing friendship networks,
good sportsmanship, good host behavior during get-togethers, changing bad reputations, and handling teasing, bullying, and
arguments. Results revealed, in comparison with the control group, that the treatment group significantly improved their knowledge
of social skills, increased frequency of hosted get-togethers, and improved overall social skills as reported by parents.
Possibly due to poor return rate of questionnaires, social skills improvement reported by teachers was not significant. Future
research should provide follow-up data to test the durability of treatment.
Keywords Social skills - Autism - Asperger’s Disorder - Friendship - Adolescents - PEERS