KONTAKT© for Australian adolescents on the autism spectrum: Protocol of a randomized control trial

Abstract

Background: Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience impairing challenges in social communication and interaction across multiple contexts. While social skills group training (SSGT) has shown moderate effects on various sociability outcomes in ASD, there is a need for (1) replication of effects in additional clinical and cultural contexts, (2) designs that employ active control groups, (3) calculation of health economic benefits, (4) identification of the optimal training duration, and (5) measurement of individual goals and quality of life outcomes. Method/design: With the aim of investigating the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a SSGT, KONTAKT