Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 2024 Dec 30;14(1):32131.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-83953-9.

The effectiveness of social training in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): a systematic review and transfer analysis

Vahid Nejati  1 , Aida Peyvandi  2 , Nasim Nazari  2 , Fatemeh Abadi  2
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

The effectiveness of social training in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): a systematic review and transfer analysis

Vahid Nejati et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by impaired social communication and interactions, as well as constrained and repetitive manifestations of interests and behaviors. Various interventions at cognitive and behavioral levels aim to address impaired social communication and interaction in individuals with ASD. This study systematically explores the transferability of social training in individuals with ASD, guided by the conceptual model known as the FIELD framework (Function, Implement, Ecology, Level, and Durability). Employing the PRISMA methodology, 52 original experiments were included in the study. The transfer analysis, formulated as a conceptual meta-analysis based on the effect sizes, underscores the significant impact of variables including age, severity of autism, intervention tools, intervention intensity, intervention context, and intervention duration on the transferability of social training in individuals with ASD. The transfer of skills was particularly conspicuous among younger individuals, especially in face-to-face interventions, in contrast to digital alternatives. Moreover, cognitive interventions exhibited superior transferability compared to behavioral interventions, especially when administered with a higher intervention dose.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD); FIELD’s model of transfer; Social cognition; Social skill; Systematic review; Training.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: V.N. is the corresponding author of one of the studies included in the review. The authors declare that there are no other financial or non-financial conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Data extraction diagram for review. 52 studies were entered into our study out of 580 initial candidate studies. 1 study was excluded in the screening phase, and 485 studies in the eligibility phase.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
A conceptual framework for functional transfer at the cognitive level.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Impact of potential factors on the total transfer effect size.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. APA. American Psychiatric Association, 2013. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Am. J. Psychiatry. 2013.
    1. Weiss, J. Self-injurious behaviours in autism: A literature review. 2003.
    1. Yamada, M. et al. Pathological social withdrawal in autism spectrum disorder: A case control study of hikikomori in Japan. Front Psychiatry.14, 1114224 (2023). - PMC - PubMed
    1. Guttmann-Steinmetz, S., Gadow, K. D. & DeVincent, C. J. Oppositional defiant and conduct disorder behaviors in boys with autism spectrum disorder with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder versus several comparison samples. J. Autism Dev. Disord.39, 976–985 (2009). - PubMed
    1. McGuire, K. et al. Irritability and problem behavior in autism spectrum disorder: a practice pathway for pediatric primary care. Pediatrics.137, S136–S148 (2016). - PubMed