Comorbid ADHD and Anxiety Affect Social Skills Group Intervention Treatment Efficacy in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of psychiatric comorbidity on social skill treatment outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). METHODS: A community sample of 83 children (74 males, 9 females) with an ASD (mean age = 9.5 yr; SD = 1.2) and common comorbid disorders participated in 10-week social skills training groups. The first 5 weeks of the group focused on conversation skills and the second 5 weeks focused on social problem solving skills. A concurrent parent group was also included in the treatment. Social skills were assessed using the Social Skills Rating System. Ratings were completed by parents at pre- and posttreatment time periods. RESULTS: Children with ASD and children with an ASD and comorbid anxiety disorder improved in their parent reported social skills. Children with ASD and comorbid attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder failed to improve. CONCLUSION: Psychiatric comorbidity affects social skill treatment gains in the ASD population.
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Difficulties with working memory, acquisition and delayed recall along with different subtypes of ASD may complicate social skills interventions because it will take longer to learn new social skills.
“It is possible that difficulties with working memory, acquisition and delayed recall along with different subtypes of ASD (HFA+ and HFA-) may complicate such interventions [53], [54] because it will take longer time to learn new social skills.”
From Symptoms of ADHD in Children with High-Functioning Autism Are Related to Impaired Verbal Working Memory and Verbal Delayed Recall (2013) · cites this paper as [53]
Social skills training strategies are a widely used therapeutic approach in treating children with ASD, but such training has been found to have a limited effect on children and adolescents with ADHD.
“Social skills training strategies are a widely used therapeutic approach in treating children with ASD, but such training has been found to have a limited effect on children and adolescents with ADHD [53].”
From Symptoms of ADHD in Children with High-Functioning Autism Are Related to Impaired Verbal Working Memory and Verbal Delayed Recall (2013) · cites this paper as [53]
Standard treatments for either condition may work less well when ADHD and ASD co-occur than when each occurs alone.
“Furthermore, cooccurring ADHD and ASD may be less responsive to standard treatments for either disorder than individuals with “pure” forms of the disorders [23,24].”
From Treatment for Co-Occurring Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder (2012) · cites this paper as [23]
Results of a 10-week group social skills training intervention for school-aged children with ASD showed that co-occurring ADHD negatively impacted program efficacy.
“Results of a 10-week group social skills training intervention for school-aged children with ASD showed that co-occurring ADHD negatively impacted program efficacy.”
From Treatment for Co-Occurring Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder (2012) · cites this paper as [23]
Children with ASD and co-occurring ADHD failed to gain social skills, whereas children with ASD without ADHD and children with ASD and anxiety both increased in overall social skills after the intervention.
“Children with ASD and co-occurring ADHD failed to gain social skills, whereas children with ASD without ADHD and children with ASD and anxiety both increased in overall social skills after the intervention [23].”
From Treatment for Co-Occurring Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder (2012) · cites this paper as [23]
With respect to psychosocial treatment, very few studies have examined behavioral interventions that directly address co-occurring symptoms, and existing treatment studies have rarely examined outcomes based on co-occurring symptom profiles.
“With respect to psychosocial treatment, very few studies have examined behavioral interventions that directly address cooccurring symptoms, and existing treatment studies have rarely examined outcomes based on co-occurring symptoms profiles [23].”
From Treatment for Co-Occurring Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder (2012) · cites this paper as [23]
Co-morbid traits such as depression, anxiety, or inattention/hyperactivity are often associated with ASD and affect general reward processing and intervention response.
“co-morbid traits, such as depression, anxiety, or inattention/hyperactivity, are often associated with ASD [212], and are known to affect general reward processing [213,214] and intervention response [215].”
From Social “wanting” dysfunction in autism: neurobiological underpinnings and treatment implications (2012) · cites this paper as [215]
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- Authors
- Antshel, K. M., Polacek, C., McMahon, M., Dygert, K., Spenceley, L., Dygert, L., Miller, L., & Faisal, F.
- Affiliations
- SUNY Upstate Medical University (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics
- Published
- 2011-07
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 439-446
- ISSN
- 0196-206X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2314643492
- Cited by
- 134
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 6.15
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Behavioral and Psychological Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, psychiatric comorbidity, social skills training, group intervention, social problem solving, conversation skills, parent training, treatment efficacy, children
- MeSH terms
- Anxiety Disorders, Child, Child Behavior, Child Development Disorders, Pervasive, Emotions, Female, Humans, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Parents, Psychotherapy, Group, Surveys and Questionnaires, Social Behavior, Comorbidity, Treatment Outcome, Patient Satisfaction, Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders
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