Shifts in Behavioral Synchrony in Response to an Interaction Partner's Distress in Adolescents With and Without ASD.

Individuals with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show altered behavioral synchrony and empathic behavior. Yet, an ecologically valid examination of these in adolescents is still required. We employed a social interaction sequence comprising a friendly conversation with a confederate, an expression of distress by her, and a return to friendly conversation. 44 male adolescents (22 with ASD) participated. Socio-emotional behaviors, coded by blind raters and through automated analyses of motion, were analyzed. Results indicated reduced synchrony in the ASD group. Moreover, whereas controls displayed a decrease in synchrony when facing another's distress, adolescents with ASD showed no such change. No group differences were found on empathic behavior. Findings imply gaps between verbal and non-verbal responses of adolescents with ASD to a distressed interaction partner.

Parent-Adolescent Reciprocity in a Conflictual Situation Predicts Peer Interaction in Adolescents With ASD.

Parent-child reciprocity plays a signicant role in shaping children's social interaction skills. The development of conflict management skills throughout childhood and adolescence impacts the individual's social adjustment. The increase in conflictual interaction with one's parents during adolescence affects the transformation of parent-adolescent interaction into a more mutual, equal relationship. Adolescents with ASD and their parents may struggle in this type of interaction due to the adolescents' social and regulatory impairments, in addition to their dependence on their parents' involvement and guidance. The current study aimed to evaluate differences in the way adolescents with and without ASD interact with their parents in a conflictual situation. In addition, the association between parent-adolescent reciprocity and the adolescent's social interaction with an unfamiliar peer was examined in the ASD group. Thirty adolescents with ASD and their parents and 30 typically developing (TD) controls were assessed during a standardized conflict interaction. In addition, adolescents with ASD took part in a conversation with an unfamiliar peer. Interactions were videotaped and coded. Results revealed that during the conflictual interaction, compared to their TD peers, adolescents with ASD were more involved in the conversation and less withdrawn from the parent, while their parents were more sensitive and less intrusive toward them. Parent-adolescent reciprocity was poorer in the ASD (compared to the TD) dyad and was positively associated with the adolescents' social-conversational skills with a peer. These findings emphasize the different developmental trajectory parent-adolescent relationship takes in adolescents with ASD, and its impact on the adolescent's social skills. Autism Res 2019, 12: 263-273 © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: The development of conflict management skills throughout childhood and adolescence impacts the individual's social adjustment. The ability of parents to engage in reciprocal social interaction with the children plays a significant role in shaping children's social interaction skills with peers and with other adults. The transition to adolescence is characterized by an increase in conflictual interaction with one's parents, which transforms the interaction between adolescents and their parents into a more mutual, equal relationship. Adolescents with ASD and their parents may struggle in this type of interaction due to the adolescents' social and emotional difficulties, and their dependence on their parents' involvement and guidance. However, the nature of parent-adolescent interaction, and particularly conflict management has rarely been studied. This study evaluated the way parents and their adolescents with ASD interact in a conflictual conversation, compared to parents and their typically developing adolescents. In addition, we examined how this type of interaction associated with adolescents' social conversation skills with a peer, in the ASD group. A videotaped interaction between adolescents and their parents indicated that parents and their adolescents with ASD engaged more positively in the conflict, but were less reciprocal with each other. In addition, higher reciprocity among parents and their adolescents with ASD was associated with better conversation skills with an unfamiliar peer. These findings demonstrate the different ways parent-adolescent relationships evolve in families affected by ASD, and the important role parents have in shaping the adolescent's social communication skills.

A randomized controlled trial evaluating the Hebrew adaptation of the PEERS® intervention: Behavioral and questionnaire-based outcomes.

Social interaction deficits form a core characteristic of ASD that is commonly targeted through social-skill groups. The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS® ) is a well-established parent-assisted intervention for adolescents, which addresses key areas of social functioning. PEERS® has been mainly studied in North-America and its evaluations were mostly questionnaire based. The aim of the current study was to test the effectiveness of the adapted and translated Hebrew version of the PEERS® intervention in a randomized controlled trial, using behavioral measures of peer interaction, in addition to self, parent, and teacher reports. Forty-one participants with ASD and no intellectual impairment, aged 12-17 years, were randomly assigned to an immediate intervention or a delayed-intervention group. All participants were assessed before and after the immediate intervention, and again at follow up, after the delayed intervention took place. Results revealed intervention-related behavioral improvements on adolescents' engagement, question-asking, and physical arousal. Parental reports indicated improved social skills, and reduced ASD symptoms. Adolescents reported on more social encounters, greater empathy, and scored higher on social-skill knowledge. Most of these effects maintained at a 16-week follow-up. Teacher reports' yielded effects only on pre-post intervention analysis. Adolescents' improvement on behavioral engagement predicted parent-reported social skills improvement. Our findings support the effectiveness of the adapted Hebrew version of PEERS® for adolescents with ASD, through significant behavioral and questionnaire-based outcomes, which maintained at follow-up. Autism Res 2018, 11: 1187-1200. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Social-skills groups, which facilitate key social deficits characteristic of ASD, are a popular intervention for adolescents with ASD. Indeed, many treatment protocols have been published, and some have also been research validated. However, there have been inconsistent findings regarding the effectiveness of different protocols, in addition to limited findings of improvement beyond questionnaire reports. This study evaluated the Hebrew adaptation of the PEERS® intervention, a 16-weeks long program, which involves the parents as their adolescents' social coaches. Following the intervention, adolescents improved their social-skills, participated more in social encounters, reported greater empathy, and demonstrated higher social-skill knowledge. A live play-role assessment with an unfamiliar peer indicated that adolescents showed greater involvement, asked more questions and were more physically relaxed during the conversation. Improvements maintained 16 weeks after the intervention was completed.

Metacognition in schizophrenia and schizotypy: relation to symptoms of schizophrenia, traits of schizotypy and Social Quality of Life.

OBJECTIVE: The current study examined a mediation model in which symptoms of schizophrenia and schizotypy traits mediate the positive relations between metacognition and Social Quality of Life (SQoL) among persons with schizophrenia and persons without mental illness. METHOD: 39 persons diagnosed with schizophrenia and 60 persons without a severe mental illness diagnosis participated in this study. Instruments included the Metacognition Assessment Scale-Abbreviated (MAS-A), the SQoL scale of the QLI-MH, the PANSS scale and the O-LIFE self-report questionnaire that assesses schizotypy traits. RESULTS: Persons with schizophrenia exhibit lower SQoL and metacognitive abilities than persons without mental illness. For persons with schizophrenia, negative symptoms mediate the positive relation between the ability to understand other persons' minds and SQoL. However, although for persons without mental illness, understanding other minds was found to correlate negatively with introvertive anhedonia and SQoL, a mediation model was not confirmed. DISCUSSION: Understanding of others' minds seems relevant to the SQoL for both samples. In addition, negative symptoms of schizophrenia and introvertive anedonia traits are also related to SQoL among persons with schizophrenia and among persons without mental illness respectively. The lack of support for a mediation model for persons without mental illness is consistent with the theories that claim schizotypy is not a mirror image of schizophrenia and, therefore, may not necessarily lead to schizophrenia. Limitations of this study and suggestions for future research are discussed.