FOUNDATION FUNDING OPENS THE DOOR FOR A BETTER LIFE
Social situations can sometimes be extremely difficult for teenagers with Autism, often resulting in many avoiding social interaction altogether.
Now research substantially funded by the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation is helping to change that.
KONTAKT, a world-leading social skills training program developed by the Karolinska Institute for Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Sweden, has now been adapted to meet the needs of autistic teenagers in Australia by researchers at Curtin University.
Working closely with the Karolinska Institute and the Autism Association of WA, The Curtin Autism Research team has successfully translated the KONTAKT program into English and adapted it to Australian culture before evaluating its feasibility and acceptability with a group of WA teenagers.
Research author Professor Sonya Girdler said developing social skills is important for teenagers with Autism, improving participation in family life, social groups and the wider community and to transition into the workplace.
“Participants not only gained important social skills they can draw on for their entire lives, but have fun while benefitting from meeting other young people with autism,” Professor Girdler said.
Stan Perron Charitable Foundation Chair, Elizabeth Perron said the KONTAKT program is a great example of why her father first established the Charitable Foundation.
“Dad took great satisfaction from seeing how particular initiatives and programs funded by the Foundation were making a genuine difference to young lives,” she said.
“We are delighted to maintain our association with KONTAKT and look forward to seeing the ongoing benefits it provides in assisting participants in the program to enjoy the best quality of life possible.”
The research paper titled, ‘Cross‐Cultural Adaptation to Australia of the KONTAKT Social Skills Group Training Program for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Feasibility Study’, can be found online here.
Published: May 2020