Group social skill training for children on the autism spectrum: an exploratory study of a short-term program in a Chinese outpatient clinic

Abstract

Objectives Group Social Skill Training (GSST) is a recommended approach for enhancing the social skills of children on the autism spectrum, and it enables therapists to address diverse needs within a single session. However, Chinese families encounter challenges in accessing professional and high-quality GSST training and support services. Notably, outpatient clinic training programs in China often have relatively short durations, yet studies on the effectiveness of short-term GSST for Chinese children are scarce. Methods This study used clinical demonstrations with five children on the autism spectrum aged between 4- to 7-year-olds. The study investigated whether a short-term GSST program effectively improved three social behaviors: initiating a conversation, asking for help, and comforting others. Results The findings revealed three out of the five children’s target social behaviors met the mastery criteria, while the remaining two did not fully meet the criteria still demonstrated clinical improvements. Conclusions This exploratory study showed promising results for supporting the effectiveness of an early short-term GSST program for families of children with autism in China. The findings were discussed in terms of training strategies, and recommendations were proposed for both practical application and future research.