{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,17]],"date-time":"2026-06-17T00:22:43Z","timestamp":1781655763475,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":95,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,15]],"date-time":"2026-02-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1771113600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100020265","name":"Stan Perron Charitable Foundation","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100020265","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Autism"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    To explore the efficacy of KONTAKT\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">\u2122<\/jats:italic>\n                    , a manualised social skills group programme, compared to an active control group, 84 autistic children aged 8\u201312\u2009years were randomised to KONTAKT (\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009=\u200943) or ART-Legends, a group-based social art programme (\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009=\u200941). Both programmes ran for sixteen 75-min sessions. Primary (Goal Attainment Scaling) and Secondary outcomes (Social Skills Group Assessment, LERID Friendship Scale) were collected at baseline, post-completion, 3-month (primary endpoint) and 1-year follow-up. A weekly survey was also collected to capture children\u2019s enjoyment, motivation and social interaction anxiety while attending their group. Linear mixed modelling indicating significant effects for both groups on the primary outcome GAS (\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009&lt;\u20090.001) over time. No Time*Group interaction was observed for GAS or any of the secondary measures at the primary endpoint, except quality of friendship (effect size\u2009=\u20090.67,\n                    <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009=\u20090.01). The weekly survey indicated higher enjoyment levels from attending KONTAKT compared to ART-Legends. This study found that both social group programmes helped autistic children achieve their personal social goals, with no clear advantage for KONTAKT over ART-Legends. However, KONTAKT\u2019s specific elements were necessary for improving friendship quality. Future research can benefit from exploring and identifying the elements of a social programme supporting enjoyment and helping autistic children achieve their goals.\n                  <\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    Trial registration: (1) Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12619000994189, registered 12 July 2019, anzctr.org.au; (2) ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04024111 registered 1 December 2019,\n                    <jats:ext-link xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" ext-link-type=\"uri\" xlink:href=\"https:\/\/clinicaltrials.gov\">https:\/\/clinicaltrials.gov<\/jats:ext-link>\n                  <\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Lay Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Social skills group programmes such as KONTAKT\u2122 are the most frequently used programmes for supporting the social needs of autistic children in navigating a non-autistic social world. The success of these programmes is largely measured by comparing participants attending a social skills group programme to others not receiving this support or attending another social skills group programme. Therefore, it is unclear whether mere exposure to a supportive social group based on interests is as beneficial as a social skills group programme in supporting the social needs of autistic children. To understand this effect, researchers compared KONTAKT to ART-Legends, a group-based social art programme. While participants in both programmes engaged in free social play, KONTAKT participants also had opportunities to practise their social skills in activities such as roleplays and discussions. Two to three health professionals delivered both programmes to groups of 4\u20138 autistic children aged 8\u201312\u2009years. Both programmes were manualised and ran for sixteen 75-min sessions. Overall, 84 children attended the programmes, 43 in KONTAKT and 41 in ART-Legends. A researcher, unaware of the group each child attended, collected data before, then immediately, 3 months and 12\u2009months after the programmes ended. The enjoyment and motivation of attending the groups and the children\u2019s anxiety when socialising while attending the groups were also collected. This study found that both groups made clear progress on their personal social goals and social skills over time. However, children in the KONTAKT group showed better results than those in the ART-Legends group when it came to making friends, enjoying the sessions and feeling less anxious in social situations. Overall, this research suggested that when autistic children take part in a structured social group programme led by trained professionals in a supportive setting, the programme can help them reach their personally meaningful social goals. However, if the aim is related to improving their friendships and having more successful socialisation skills, KONTAKT is superior. Future studies could look more closely at what parts of the programme are most helpful in improving friendship and socialisation skills.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/13623613251414902","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,16]],"date-time":"2026-02-16T00:17:13Z","timestamp":1771201033000},"page":"748-766","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["A double-masked randomised actively controlled trial of KONTAKT\u2122 social skills toolbox for Australian autistic children"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"30","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2825-7265","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bahareh","family":"Afsharnejad","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Curtin University, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2634-0818","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elinda Ai Lim","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Curtin University, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1876-5696","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maya","family":"Hayden-Evans","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Curtin University, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Fridell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Karolinska Institutet, Sweden"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Christina","family":"Coco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Karolinska Institutet, Sweden"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tasha","family":"Alach","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Autism Association of Western Australia, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mathew","family":"Johnson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Autism Association of Western Australia, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4579-4970","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sven","family":"B\u00f6lte","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Curtin University, Australia"},{"name":"Karolinska Institutet, Sweden"},{"name":"Stockholm Health Care Services, Sweden"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sonya","family":"Girdler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Curtin University, Australia"},{"name":"Karolinska Institutet, Sweden"},{"name":"University of Western Australia, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_3_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Achenbach T. 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