Adapting an In-person Transdiagnostic Social Skills Program to Online Delivery: Technology to the Rescue
Abstract
Social skills intervention programs have demonstrated treatment efficacy in session but, putting that knowledge into practice is a critically important component. It requires simultaneous development of related essential skills, like emotion regulation and resilience. Additionally, transdiagnostic treatment methodologies, which are more cost-effective and increase accessibility, have become increasingly popular. However, accessibility remains a
problem for in-person programs. LUNCH Groups® (www.lunchgroups.com), an in-person transdiagnostic program, incorporated various technology-based assessment and intervention elements as part of the original program design. These included a customized online assessment tool, home generalization app, computer animation projects, and online parent webinars. Their inclusion paved the way for a quick pivot to telehealth-based services while maintaining HIPAA compliance. The original online program is described along with the steps taken in the switch to telehealth, outlining the benefits and challenges that resulted. Attendance and attrition data indicated no problems after an initial adjustment period that coincided with the onset of the pandemic. Survey data indicated general satisfaction with the revised program structure and curriculum, with significant gains approximating those seen in the in-person version.
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References
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Davies, L., LeClair, K. L., Bagley, P., Blunt, H., Hinton, L., Ryan, S., & Ziebland, S. (2020). Face-to-Face Compared With Online Collected Accounts of Health and Illness Experiences: A Scoping Review. Qualitative Health Research, 30(13), 2092–2102. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732320935835
Didehbani, N., Allen, T., Kandalaft, M., Krawczyk, D., & Chapman, S. (2016). Virtual Reality Social Cognition Training for children with high functioning autism. Computers in Human Behavior, 62, 703–711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.04.033
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Gale, B. (2018, December 5). Methodology and Outcomes for LUNCH Groups®, a transdiagnostic time-limited social learning program. Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles Grand Rounds.
Gale, B. (2020). Return to Services Survey. [ Data set]. BehaviorTech Solutions, Inc. https://sites.google.com/bgalephd.com/rcvendorsurveyresults/introduction?authuser=0
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Goldstein, F., & Glueck, D. (2016). Developing Rapport and Therapeutic Alliance During Telemental Health Sessions with Children and Adolescents. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 26(3), 204–211. https://doi.org/10.1089/cap.2015.0022
Gunderson, E. A., Gripshover, S. J., Romero, C., Dweck, C. S., Goldin-Meadow, S., & Levine, S. C. (2013). Parent praise to 1- to 3-year-olds predicts children’s motivational frameworks 5 years later. Child Development, 84(5), 1526–1541. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12064
Harrell, A., & Gale, B. (2014). Cross-Validation of an Online Behavior Assessment Tool; Parent Support as a Significant Mediator in Behavioral Intervention. Unpublished data.
Kandalaft, M. R., Didehbani, N., Krawczyk, D. C., Allen, T. T., & Chapman, S. B. (2013). Virtual reality social cognition training for young adults with high-functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(1), 34–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1544-6
Laugeson, E. A., Frankel, F., Gantman, A., Dillon, A. R., & Mogil, C. (2012). Evidence-based social skills training for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: the UCLA PEERS program. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(6), 1025–1036. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1339-1
Lavrič, M., & Naterer, A. (2020). The power of authoritative parenting: A cross-national study of effects of exposure to different parenting styles on life satisfaction. In Children and Youth Services Review (Vol. 116, p. 105274). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105274
Mandelberg, J., Laugeson, E. A., Cunningham, T. D., Ellingsen, R., Bates, S., & Frankel, F. (2014). Long-Term Treatment Outcomes for Parent-Assisted Social Skills Training for Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders: The UCLA PEERS Program. Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 7(1), 45–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/19315864.2012.730600
Papazoglou, A., Jacobson, L. A., & Zabel, T. A. (2013). Sensitivity of the BASC-2 Adaptive Skills Composite in detecting adaptive impairment in a clinically referred sample of children and adolescents. In The Clinical Neuropsychologist (Vol. 27, Issue 3, pp. 386–395). Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.1080/13854046.2012.760651
Payne, L., Flannery, H., Kambakara Gedara, C., Daniilidi, X., Hitchcock, M., Lambert, D., Taylor, C., & Christie, D. (2020). Business as usual? Psychological support at a distance. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 25(3), 672–686. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104520937378
Schohl, K. A., Van Hecke, A. V., Carson, A. M., Dolan, B., Karst, J., & Stevens, S. (2014). A replication and extension of the PEERS intervention: examining effects on social skills and social anxiety in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(3), 532–545. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1900-1
Soares, E. E., Bausback, K., Beard, C. L., Higinbotham, M., Bunge, E. L., & Gengoux, G. W. (2020). Social Skills Training for Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Meta-analysis of In-person and Technological Interventions. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-020-00177-0
Spence, S. H. (2003). Social skills training with children and young people: Theory, evidence and practice. In Child and Adolescent Mental Health (Vol. 8, Issue 2, pp. 84–96). Blackwell Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-3588.00051
Steinberg, L., Lamborn, S. D., Dornbusch, S. M., & Darling, N. (1992). Impact of parenting practices on adolescent achievement: authoritative parenting, school involvement, and encouragement to succeed. Child Development, 63(5), 1266–1281. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1992.tb01694.x
US Department of Education. (2001). Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 1997. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oii/nonpublic/idea1.html
Weinberg, H. (2020). Online group psychotherapy: Challenges and possibilities during COVID-19—A practice review. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice: The Official Journal of Division 49, Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy of the American Psychological Association, 24(3), 201–211. https://doi.org/10.1037/gdn0000140
Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191
Barlow, D. H., & Farchione, T. J. (Eds.). (2017). Applications of the unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med-psych/9780190255541.001.0001
Berler, E. S., Gross, A. M., & Drabman, R. S. (1982). Social skills training with children: Proceed with caution. In Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (Vol. 15, Issue 1, pp. 41–53). Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.1982.15-41
Chu, B. C., Temkin, A. B., & Toffey, K. (2016). Transdiagnostic Mechanisms and Treatment for Children and Adolescents. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199935291.013.10
Coles, E. K., Pelham, W. E., Gnagy, E. M., Burrows-Maclean, L., Fabiano, G. A., Chacko, A., Wymbs, B. T., Tresco, K. E., Walker, K. S., & Robb, J. A. (2005). A Controlled Evaluation of Behavioral Treatment With Children With ADHD Attending a Summer Treatment Program. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 13(2), 99–112. https://doi.org/10.1177/10634266050130020301
Cui, L., Yufeng, W., & Xilin, W. (2004). The Role of Social Skills Training in Treatment of Children with Behavior Problems. [The Role of Social Skills Training in Treatment of Children with Behavior Problems.]. In Chinese Mental Health Journal (Vol. 18, Issue 9, pp. 603–606). Chinese Mental Health.
Davies, L., LeClair, K. L., Bagley, P., Blunt, H., Hinton, L., Ryan, S., & Ziebland, S. (2020). Face-to-Face Compared With Online Collected Accounts of Health and Illness Experiences: A Scoping Review. Qualitative Health Research, 30(13), 2092–2102. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732320935835
Didehbani, N., Allen, T., Kandalaft, M., Krawczyk, D., & Chapman, S. (2016). Virtual Reality Social Cognition Training for children with high functioning autism. Computers in Human Behavior, 62, 703–711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.04.033
Fabiano, G. A., Schatz, N. K., & Pelham, W. E., Jr. (2014). Summer treatment programs for youth with ADHD. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 23(4), 757–773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2014.05.012
Fernández-Martínez, I., Orgilés, M., Morales, A., Espada, J. P., & Essau, C. A. (2020). One-Year follow-up effects of a cognitive behavior therapy-based transdiagnostic program for emotional problems in young children: A school-based cluster-randomized controlled trial. Journal of Affective Disorders, 262, 258–266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.11.002
Gale, B. (2018, December 5). Methodology and Outcomes for LUNCH Groups®, a transdiagnostic time-limited social learning program. Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles Grand Rounds.
Gale, B. (2020). Return to Services Survey. [ Data set]. BehaviorTech Solutions, Inc. https://sites.google.com/bgalephd.com/rcvendorsurveyresults/introduction?authuser=0
Gale, B. M. (2011). Oppositional Defiant Disorder. In C. Draper & W. T. O’Donohue (Eds.), Stepped Care and e-Health: Practical Applications to Behavioral Disorders (pp. 181–202). Springer New York. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6510-3_10
Gale, B. M. (2020). 2020 SUMMER LUNCH GROUPS®. [Data Set] BehaviorTech Solutions, Inc.
Gale, B., Mazor, J., & Harrell, A. (2017). Developing/Running Transdiagnostic Social Skills Intervention Programs for Children & Adolescents. The Los Angeles Psychologist, Fall. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319631508_DevelopingRunning_Transdiagnostic_Social_Skills_Intervention_Programs_for_Children_Adolescents
Gates, J. A., Kang, E., & Lerner, M. D. (2017). Efficacy of group social skills interventions for youth with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 52, 164–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2017.01.006
Goldstein, F., & Glueck, D. (2016). Developing Rapport and Therapeutic Alliance During Telemental Health Sessions with Children and Adolescents. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 26(3), 204–211. https://doi.org/10.1089/cap.2015.0022
Gunderson, E. A., Gripshover, S. J., Romero, C., Dweck, C. S., Goldin-Meadow, S., & Levine, S. C. (2013). Parent praise to 1- to 3-year-olds predicts children’s motivational frameworks 5 years later. Child Development, 84(5), 1526–1541. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12064
Harrell, A., & Gale, B. (2014). Cross-Validation of an Online Behavior Assessment Tool; Parent Support as a Significant Mediator in Behavioral Intervention. Unpublished data.
Kandalaft, M. R., Didehbani, N., Krawczyk, D. C., Allen, T. T., & Chapman, S. B. (2013). Virtual reality social cognition training for young adults with high-functioning autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(1), 34–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1544-6
Laugeson, E. A., Frankel, F., Gantman, A., Dillon, A. R., & Mogil, C. (2012). Evidence-based social skills training for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: the UCLA PEERS program. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(6), 1025–1036. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1339-1
Lavrič, M., & Naterer, A. (2020). The power of authoritative parenting: A cross-national study of effects of exposure to different parenting styles on life satisfaction. In Children and Youth Services Review (Vol. 116, p. 105274). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105274
Mandelberg, J., Laugeson, E. A., Cunningham, T. D., Ellingsen, R., Bates, S., & Frankel, F. (2014). Long-Term Treatment Outcomes for Parent-Assisted Social Skills Training for Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders: The UCLA PEERS Program. Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 7(1), 45–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/19315864.2012.730600
Papazoglou, A., Jacobson, L. A., & Zabel, T. A. (2013). Sensitivity of the BASC-2 Adaptive Skills Composite in detecting adaptive impairment in a clinically referred sample of children and adolescents. In The Clinical Neuropsychologist (Vol. 27, Issue 3, pp. 386–395). Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.1080/13854046.2012.760651
Payne, L., Flannery, H., Kambakara Gedara, C., Daniilidi, X., Hitchcock, M., Lambert, D., Taylor, C., & Christie, D. (2020). Business as usual? Psychological support at a distance. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 25(3), 672–686. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104520937378
Schohl, K. A., Van Hecke, A. V., Carson, A. M., Dolan, B., Karst, J., & Stevens, S. (2014). A replication and extension of the PEERS intervention: examining effects on social skills and social anxiety in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(3), 532–545. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1900-1
Soares, E. E., Bausback, K., Beard, C. L., Higinbotham, M., Bunge, E. L., & Gengoux, G. W. (2020). Social Skills Training for Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Meta-analysis of In-person and Technological Interventions. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-020-00177-0
Spence, S. H. (2003). Social skills training with children and young people: Theory, evidence and practice. In Child and Adolescent Mental Health (Vol. 8, Issue 2, pp. 84–96). Blackwell Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-3588.00051
Steinberg, L., Lamborn, S. D., Dornbusch, S. M., & Darling, N. (1992). Impact of parenting practices on adolescent achievement: authoritative parenting, school involvement, and encouragement to succeed. Child Development, 63(5), 1266–1281. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1992.tb01694.x
US Department of Education. (2001). Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 1997. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oii/nonpublic/idea1.html
Weinberg, H. (2020). Online group psychotherapy: Challenges and possibilities during COVID-19—A practice review. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice: The Official Journal of Division 49, Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy of the American Psychological Association, 24(3), 201–211. https://doi.org/10.1037/gdn0000140
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Published
2021-03-09
How to Cite
Gale, B. M. ., Greenberg, S. ., & Ireland, K. . (2021). Adapting an In-person Transdiagnostic Social Skills Program to Online Delivery: Technology to the Rescue. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 13(3). Retrieved from https://www.iejee.com/index.php/IEJEE/article/view/1492
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