FASTER and SCOTT&EVA trainings for adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental condition with a prevalence rate above 1%, characterized by deficits in social communication and interaction; restrictive, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities; and a preference for sameness and routines. The majority of adult ASD patients suffer from comorbid conditions such as depression and anxiety. Therapy options for adult ASD patients are lacking, with presently no available evidence-based interventions in Germany. Recently, two interventions to improve social responsiveness have been published. FASTER (“Freiburger Asperger-Spezifische Therapie für ERwachsene” = Freiburg Asperger-specific therapy for adults) is a manualized group psychotherapy program including three modules on psychoeducation, stress regulation management, and non-verbal and verbal social communication training with videotaped tasks. SCOTT&EVA (“Social Cognition Training Tool”, and its enhancement “Emotionen Verstehen und Ausdruecken” = understanding and expressing emotions) is a computer-based training program to enhance social cognition including video and audio material of emotional expressions and complex real-life social situations. Initial studies for both programs have shown good feasibility and efficacy. Methods Three hundred sixty adult participants with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will take part in a randomized controlled three-armed multi-center trial to prove the efficacy of manualized group psychotherapy and a manualized computer-based training program. Both interventions will be compared with a treatment as usual (TAU) group, aiming to establish evidence-based psychotherapy approaches for adult individuals with ASD. The primary outcome is evaluated by parents, spouses, or others who have sufficient insight into the respective participant’s social communication and interaction, and will be measured with the Social Responsiveness Scale. First, each of both interventions will be compared to TAU. If at least one of the differences is significant, both interventions will be compared against each other. The primary outcome will be measured at baseline (T0) and 4 months after baseline (T1). Discussion The trial is the first to validate psychiatric therapeutic and training interventions for adult ASD patients in Germany. A trial is needed because the prevalence of ASD in adulthood without intellectual disability is high, and no evidence-based intervention can be offered in Germany. Trial registration German Clinical Trial Register DRKS00017817. Registered on 20 April 2020.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659Universitätsklinikum Freiburg (8975)Peer Reviewe

The SARA Project : An Interactive Sandbox for Research on Autism

SARA is an ongoing research project that investigates in a novel and artistic way the causes for social communication and emotion recognition deficits in children and adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The novelty of our work resides in the real-time generation and parameterization of emotional facial expressions of virtual characters by means of speed, intensity and abstraction, the latter achieved by non-photorealistic rendering (NPR) techniques. Although the project is currently in an ongoing phase, it shows the potential of using virtual characters and real-time techniques for interactive experiments, which otherwise would be impossible using "linear stimuli" (e.g. pre-rendered animations).publishe

Interactive Testbed for Research in Autism : the SARA Project

The project SARA (Stylized Animations for Research on Autism) aims for a better understanding of the cognitive processes behind emotional categorization in children and adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in comparison to their neurotypically developed (NTD) peers. To this end, we combine novel real-time non-photorealistic rendering (NPR) algorithms, emotional facial animations, and eye tracking technologies in a framework that serves as an in- teractive testbed for empirical research. In this paper we focus on three experiments that: (1) validate real-time facial animations of virtual characters, (2) evaluate the NPR algorithms to create abstracted facial expressions, and (3) elucidate the relation between eye gaze behavior, ASD and alexithymia (i.e. difficulties in expressing ones emotions). The results show that our animations indeed can be used in the proposed experiments; however, more evaluation is needed regarding the NPR abstractions, es- pecially with individuals with ASD. Finally, even though no correlation was found between gaze behavior, ASD and alexithymia, the study opened several questions that will be addressed in our future work.publishe