QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF ADULT SOCIAL GROUP PARTICIPATION ON AUTISM SYMPTOMOLOGY, SOCIAL SKILLS, AND LONELINESS

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to measure the impacts of attendance in a three-month series of social groups on the self-perceptions of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptomology, social skills, and loneliness for adults with ASD. The study also measured the impacts of attendance in a three-month series of social groups on perceptions of ASD symptomology and social skills for the caregivers of adults with ASD. This study utilized a convenience sample of adults that were existing members of Florida Atlantic University’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (FAU CARD) Adult Social Group and an identified caregiver. Data was collected over a period of four months. This was the first study to examine the impacts of participation in a semi-structured social group on perceptions of ASD symptomology, social skills, and loneliness for adults with ASD, as prior studies had focused on more structured, clinical interventions. Variance in perceptions over the three-month series was analyzed using a repeated measures MANOVA. Significant differences were reported over the three month period on both adult self-perception and caregiver perception for ASD symptomology, social skills, and loneliness (N=76).