Dr Renae Beaumont1 – Program Developer

Vicki Stevens2 – Aspect School Coordinator

Collaborators: A/Prof K Sofronoff1, Dr J Taffe3, A/Prof Gray3 , Dr T Clark2 ,Dr D Costley2, Dr M.A. Redoblado Hodge4,Prof J

Roberts5 , S Horstead6 ,K Clarke6, Prof P Howlin6, Prof S Einfeld6

1University of QLD, 2Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect), 3Monash University 4Children’s Hospital Westmead, 5Griffith

University, 6University of Sydney

Implementation and Evaluation of the Secret Agent Society Social

Skills Program in Aspect Satellite Classes

Background

Social skill deficits are a core feature of ASD

Most apparent when children start school

Profound impact on:

– Peer Acceptance

– Academic Achievement

– Mental Health

Study Aims

Evaluate whether the Secret Agent Society (SAS) Program

was effective in improving the social-emotional skills of

students with ASD attending Aspect satellite classes

– At school

– At home

Were improvements maintained at

6- and 12-month follow-up?

Participants

Students attending Aspect primary- and secondary-school

satellite classes

75 male, 9 female

Mean age = 10.7 years (range 8-14)

Mean Full Scale IQ = 91.3 (range 48-126)

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Participants

84 initial assessments

70 participated in SAS

68 post-assessments

66 follow-up assessments

Secret Agent Society (SAS) Program

Group social skills program for 8-12 year-old children with

Level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorders

Teaches emotion recognition, emotion regulation and

social skills

Includes students, parents and school staff

Fun games and practice activities, including animated

computer game

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SAS Computer Game

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SAS - Skills Taught

Recognising emotions in self and others

Managing anxiety and anger

Perspective taking

Identifying and solving social problems

Introducing yourself and talking to others

Playing with others

Turn-taking during group activities

Coping with Mistakes

Detecting, Preventing and Managing Bullying

Coping with Change

SAS - Kids Matter

Program Delivery

Delivered to groups of 3-6 students by 1-2 trained

facilitators

– 9 x 90 min weekly child sessions

– 4 x 2 hr parent sessions

– Weekly teacher tip sheets

– 3- and 6-month follow-up sessions

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Research Design

12 month follow up (T5)

6 month follow up (T4)

Post SAS assessment (T3)

SAS program delivery (4.5 months)

Pre-intervention assessment (T2)

Baseline assessment (T1) Non intervention period (usual school curriculum 6 months)

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Measures

Spence Social Skills Questionnaire- parent (SSQ-P) and teacher (SSQ-T) versions

Emotion Regulation and Social Skills Questionnaire-parent (ERSSQ-P) and teacher (ERSSQ-T) versions

James and the Maths Test

Dylan is Being Teased

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Results – Estimated mean differences from pre-intervention values in outcome variables

(random effects regression)

Occasion (Relative to T2)

SSQ-P SSQ-T ERSSQ-P ERSSQ-T James Dylan

Time 1 (baseline) 0.35 0.47 1.06 0.64 0.24 0.27

Time 3 (post-intervention)

4.92* 1.38 8.64* 2.74 1.22* 1.40*

Time 4 (6-month f-up)

7.12* 3.49 9.79* 4.21 - -

Time 5 (12-month f-up)

8.40* 5.46* 10.40* 9.40* 1.01* 0.95*

* p<.001 Effect Size range: 0.46-0.84 13

Results

No association between intervention effects and students’:

– Age

– Gender

– Performance IQ

– Receptive vocabulary (PPVT-4)

– ASD symptom severity (SCQ Current Total Score)

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Conclusions

Program appeared to be effective in improving children‘s social skills at home and at school.

Improvements maintained at 6- and 12-month follow-up.

Delay in tx effects at school:

– More challenging social environment?

– Takes children longer to learn, practise

and apply skills at school

Less intensive program delivery

format (45 min sessions x 2 school terms)

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School Staff Impressions

Secret Agent Society is a powerful way to help our students understand social skills

Visual Supports - especially the code cards are an invaluable tool for our students

Games- are engaging and an excellent platform to put the skills into action

Real life scenarios – enable the children to discuss and problem solve

Within our school – the Individual Education Plan goals for students are supported and practised within the Secret Agent Society Framework

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Student Impressions

At our recent sports carnival: “My body is doing those things we talked about in Secret Agent” – Charlie aged 9

Talking about home: “I felt prickly so I went to my room” – Grace aged 9

“Is that look distrusting?”- Ashley aged 8

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Student Impressions

• The children can identify how the program is helping them in social situations

They are using the language and skills across settings:

– “I’m using the code cards to help me when I’m talking to

people and to help me make friends.” – Dominic aged 10

– “This has come at just the right time because I have been

worried a lot and having melt-downs.”- Tallara aged 9

– “The O2 Regulator works every time I use it.”- Grace aged 9

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Next Steps…

Aspect SAS ‘Classes of Excellence’

Additional Aspect Satellite Class staff trained to deliver SAS

Mainstream school evaluation of program (positive findings) – Beaumont, Rotolone and Sofronoff, in press

Classroom variant of SAS

– 2014 Randomised Controlled

Trial

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Acknowledgements

Schools, teachers, parents and children

– Aspect Central Coast School

– Aspect South Coast School

– Aspect South East Sydney School

– Aspect Vern Barnett School

– Aspect Western Sydney School

Funded by an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grant

Dr Renae Beaumont is the developer of the program and receives royalty payments on all program materials sold.

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