Symposia
Autism Spectrum and Developmental Disorders
Elizabeth Baker, M.A.
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, California
Ann Marie Martin, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, California
Elina Veytsman, M.A.
Graduate Student
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, California
Jan Blacher, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor
University of California, Los Angeles
Riverside, California
Katherine Stavropoulos, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, California
Introduction
Fidelity is an important part of implementing evidence-based treatments (EBTs) and flexibility is a critical consideration when working with culturally diverse families, where adaptations to meet client needs should be informed by socio-cultural frameworks. For example, Latinx families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have expressed importance in including extended family members in their child’s intervention (DuBay et al., 2018). This investigation examines multimodal measures to suggest potential adaptations to PEERS—a group-based EBT social skills program for teens with ASD—for Latinx families.
Methods
Teens with ASD (n = 13, M = 14.2 yr; 9 Latinx, 4 White) and their parents enrolled in the 16-week PEERS intervention. Fidelity and homework (HW) completion were measured per session. HW assignments were coded as requiring either a (1) peer outside the program/family or (2) parent or teen member of the group. Neurotypical teens (NT) (n = 14, M = 13.2 yr) were recruited as a control group but did not participate in PEERS. All parents completed a measure of teen social skills (SRS-2) pre- and post-intervention. ASD parents completed a semi-structured interview of social validity at post-intervention.
Results
PEERS was performed at 100% fidelity. HW completion did not differ by ethnicity or type of activity (i.e., friend v. family/group member). Social skills improved in the ASD group after PEERS, F(1,25) = 12.8, p < .01, and remained stable across time in the NT group. White ASD teens improved social skills by an average of 10.3 standard units compared to Latinx teens, who improved an average of 4.1 units. Latinx ASD parents recommended altering HW to allow get-togethers with extended family members (e.g., cousins) rather than requiring teens to interact with peers outside the family unit.
Conclusions
Social skills in Latinx ASD teens improved half as much as White teens. Overall, although significant social skills improvements were observed, it appears Latinx teens with ASD did not benefit as robustly from PEERS. Qualitatively, Latinx parents expressed some discomfort about HW assignments conducted with teens outside of the family (e.g., peers from school) and suggested HW be completed with family members. Adapting HW assignments to be done with family members would maintain a core social interactive component PEERS (i.e., fidelity) while also eliminating bias of Eurocentric definitions of friendship (e.g., adaptation). Such adaptations may lead to more equitable outcomes between Latinx and White teens.