Efficacy of group social skills interventions on social competency and participation in adolescents with acquired and developmental disabilities : a systematic review protocol

Objective: The objective of this review is to evaluate the efficacy of group social skills interventions in improving social knowledge, social competency, and social participation in adolescents with acquired and developmental disabilities. Introduction: Difficulties with social functioning and participation are commonly experienced by adolescents with a range of acquired and developmental disabilities. There is evidence for the use of group social skills interventions in youth with autism spectrum disorder, although less is known about their efficacy with youth with other disabilities. Inclusion criteria: This review will include studies that evaluate group social skills interventions in adolescents with an acquired or developmental disability, excluding a primary mental health disorder. Randomized control trials will be the only experimental design included and group social skills interventions must have an available intervention manual to allow use in clinical practice. Primary outcomes will include measures of social knowledge, social competence, and social participation. Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, PsycINFO and Web of Science will be searched for eligible studies published in English. Clinical Trials Registry, Google Scholar, and ProQuest Dissertation and Theses will also be searched. Screening, study selection, critical appraisal, and data extraction will be conducted by two independent reviewers using standardized tools. Studies will be pooled, where possible, with statistical meta-analysis and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) Summary of Findings presented