Definition
The Social Tools And Rules for Teens (START) socialization program for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a peer-facilitated intervention that combines experiential learning opportunities with an interactive social curriculum. It is a 20-session program consisting of weekly 90-min group meetings. Each meeting consists of an individual check-in session, a free socialization period, a social topic discussion, a structured social activity, and a checkout session. Structured and unstructured free socialization periods are embedded within each group session to provide a supportive, natural context for social experimentation, self-management, and skill building. The interactive didactic social lessons are intended to provide opportunities to promote social insight and effective social skill use. The START program was developed at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Historical Background
By the nature of their diagnosis, adolescents with ASD often...
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Vernon, T.W., Miller, A.R., Ko, J.A., Barrett, A.C., McGarry, E. (2019). Social Tools And Rules for Teens (START) Program. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102201-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102201-1
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