Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the KONTAKT Social Skills Group Training Program for Children and Adolescents with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A feasibility Study

Abstract

Background: Social skills group training is an intervention method that has demonstrated moderate evidence of improvement among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). KONTAKT is a manualized social skills group training program that was developed in Germany and that has demonstrated preliminary evidence of positive effect. In this study, we describe its adaptation to Scandinavian settings. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical feasibility of the Swedish version of KONTAKT. The program was piloted in two outpatient departments in Stockholm County. Method: A convergent mixed-method approach that involved both quantitative (ratings scales for ASD, clinical severity, and adaptive functioning) and qualitative (semi-structured interviewing) evaluation was applied. Twenty-two children and adolescents with high-functioning ASD between the ages of 8 and 17 years and their parents were enrolled in a one-group trial and completed assessments before and after KONTAKT training. Results: The quantitative evaluation showed improvements in social communication and global everyday functioning; the qualitative evaluations yielded general treatment satisfaction. Twenty of the 22 enrolled adolescents (91%) completed the training. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the Swedish adaptation of KONTAKT is feasible for Scandinavian clinical settings. It is currently being examined for efficacy and effectiveness in the largest multicenter randomized controlled trial of social skills group training in patients with ASD that has ever been undertaken (NCT01854346).