Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39690375›Full record

SynthesisJournal of autism and developmental disorders2026

A Systematic Review of Implicit Versus Explicit Social Skills Group Programs in Different Settings for School-Aged Autistic Children and Adolescents.

Bahareh Afsharnejad, Patrice Whitehorne Smith, Sven Bölte, Ben Milbourn, Sonya Girdler

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Cultural Adaptation and Evaluation of the PEERSJournal of autism and developmental disorders · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Bahareh AfsharnejadCurtin Autism Research Group (CARG), Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia. Bahareh.afsharnejad@curtin.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2825-7265
Patrice Whitehorne SmithCurtin Autism Research Group (CARG), Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5102-0261
Sven BölteCurtin Autism Research Group (CARG), Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4579-4970
Ben MilbournCurtin Autism Research Group (CARG), Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3213-7987
Sonya GirdlerCurtin Autism Research Group (CARG), Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7992-0800

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify and evaluate the quality of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), assessing the efficacy of Social Skills Group Programs (SSGPs) for primary and secondary school aged autistic children and adolescents exploring the influence of informant, setting characteristics and teaching strategies as moderating factors for social outcomes. A search of the electronic databases of Medline, ProQuest, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Sciences electronic databases was conducted for the period January 1, 2013 until December 31, 2023 for peer-reviewed RCT studies published in English, evaluating the efficacy of SSGPs for school-aged autistic children and adolescents (6-18 years). Included studies were assessed for methodological quality and efficacy using random effect meta-analysis. Informant analysis and moderator analyses were also conducted investigating the influence of informant, setting characteristics and teaching strategy utilised in the SSGPs on the participants social outcomes. Sixty-five studies were included in the systematic review with 49 studies included in the meta-analysis. Although most studies had strong or good methodological quality, a high possibility of publication bias was detected in the meta-analysis. After statistical adjustments for publication bias were made, findings revealed that SSGPs had no effect on the overall outcomes assessed by included studies on school-aged autistic children and adolescents. However, informant analysis revealed small effects reported by self-report, parent-proxy and researchers. Teaching strategies and setting characteristics were not significant moderators for the efficacy of SSGPs on the social outcomes of autistic children and adolescents. This review highlights the need for improvements in measurement frameworks for assessing social skills in autistic children and adolescents.

Indexed as

Autistic DisorderPsychotherapy, GroupSocial SkillsAdolescentChildHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSchoolsAutismMeta-analysisRandomised controlled trialSocial skills groupStudentsSystematic review

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.