A randomized controlled trial evaluating the Hebrew adaptation of the PEERS^® intervention: Behavioral and questionnaire-based outcomes

Social interaction deficits form a core characteristic of ASD that is commonly targeted through social-skill groups. The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS^®) is a well-established parent-assisted intervention for adolescents, which addresses key areas of social functioning. PEERS^® has been mainly studied in North-America and its evaluations were mostly questionnaire based. The aim of the current study was to test the effectiveness of the adapted and translated Hebrew version of the PEERS^® intervention in a randomized controlled trial, using behavioral measures of peer interaction, in addition to self, parent, and teacher reports. Forty-one participants with ASD and no intellectual impairment, aged 12–17 years, were randomly assigned to an immediate intervention or a delayed-intervention group. All participants were assessed before and after the immediate intervention, and again at follow up, after the delayed intervention took place. Results revealed intervention-related behavioral improvements on adolescents’ engagement, question-asking, and physical arousal. Parental reports indicated improved social skills, and reduced ASD symptoms. Adolescents reported on more social encounters, greater empathy, and scored higher on social-skill knowledge. Most of these effects maintained at a 16-week follow-up. Teacher reports' yielded effects only on pre-post intervention analysis. Adolescents’ improvement on behavioral engagement predicted parent-reported social skills improvement. Our findings support the effectiveness of the adapted Hebrew version of PEERS^® for adolescents with ASD, through significant behavioral and questionnaire-based outcomes, which maintained at follow-up. Autism Res 2018, 11: 1187–1200.