Hull Laura, Rane Shravani, Lee Samman Hang-Lai, Sedgewick Felicity
Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
School of Education, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
Autism Adulthood. 2025 May 28;7(3):283-292. doi: 10.1089/aut.2023.0136. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Social skills training (SST) is an intervention intended to support the development of social communication and interaction for autistic people, often through role-play, modeling, peer mediation, or group activities. While often targeted at autistic children, adults may also be offered SST following diagnosis. Evaluations of SST generally focus on social and behavioral outcomes, with little consideration for participants' experience of the intervention. This study was the first to seek the perspectives of autistic adults regarding their previous experiences of SST in childhood or adulthood.
We interviewed a total of 11 autistic adults (5 male, 5 female, and 1 agender) from the United Kingdom online. Interviews were semi-structured and focused on participants' previous experiences of SST and how they felt it could be improved. We analyzed data using reflexive thematic analysis.
Autistic adults wanted support around social communication and life skills, which they felt was not always provided through SST. Participants suggested that SST should be personalized and accessible as and when needed. Support through autistic peers and trained neurotypicals was particularly valued. Some emphasized the need for non-autistic people to receive training on how to socialize with autistic people. Some participants also reported negative experiences of SST or felt that it was not necessary.
Current SST provision in the United Kingdom does not always meet the needs of autistic adults. Services providing SST should consider personalizing their support options and ensure that autistic adults are involved in the design and delivery of SST. Some autistic people may not want or need SST, and it should be integrated to a broader range of support options.
社交技能训练（SST）是一种干预措施，旨在支持自闭症患者社交沟通和互动能力的发展，通常通过角色扮演、示范、同伴调解或小组活动来实现。虽然SST通常针对自闭症儿童，但成年人在确诊后也可能接受该训练。对SST的评估通常侧重于社交和行为结果，而很少考虑参与者对干预的体验。本研究首次探讨了自闭症成年人对其童年或成年时期接受SST的经历的看法。
我们在网上采访了来自英国的11位自闭症成年人（5名男性、5名女性和1名性别未指定者）。访谈采用半结构化形式，重点关注参与者以前接受SST的经历以及他们认为如何改进。我们使用反思性主题分析法对数据进行了分析。
自闭症成年人希望在社交沟通和生活技能方面获得支持，他们觉得SST并不总能提供这些支持。参与者建议SST应个性化，并在需要时随时可用。来自自闭症同伴和经过培训的非自闭症人士的支持尤其受到重视。一些人强调非自闭症人士需要接受如何与自闭症患者社交的培训。一些参与者还报告了SST的负面经历，或者觉得它没有必要。
英国目前提供的SST并不总能满足自闭症成年人的需求。提供SST的服务应考虑使其支持选项个性化，并确保自闭症成年人参与SST的设计和实施。一些自闭症患者可能不想要或不需要SST，应将其纳入更广泛的支持选项中。
