A one –group, pre-intervention-post-intervention design was adapted for this study. All patients with ASD were recruited from Shizuoka University. The group therapy programs consisted of cognitive behavioral therapy and recreational activity. Outcome measures were Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition, Quality of Life Inventory, State Trait Anxiety Inventory and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale.
There were eight participants, five males and three females. Their ages were from 19 years old to 22 years old. All participants had over 90 % of attendance in the six-month group therapy.
These preliminary results suggest that the group therapy can improve social competence for some students with ASD. More research is needed to draw more sturdy conclusions, especially with respect to improvements in quality of life.