The Influence of Personality Characteristics on the Results of the FASTER-SCOTT Study

INTERVENTION: Group 1: Treatment as usual (TAU) Group 2: SCOTT&EVA is a software‐based training program for recognizing 40 different emotions from facial expressions, tone of voice, and comple Xsocial situations. Additionally, the platform provides detailed information about the emotions used. The level of difficulty is adjusted for each study participant using the so‐called ELO system. The training lasts for four months, during which participants train at home via the internet for at least two hours per week (at least 32 hours in total). In the four‐month follow‐up period, a refresh session of at least 30 minutes is completed once per month. Group 3: In the FASTER group therapy, various topics specifically tailored to autism are addressed: specific stress management (irritability, sensory overload, mindfulness, self‐regulation), emotions and alexithymia, nonverbal and verbal communication, social motivation and interaction, introduction to a communication model for better understanding of reciprocal communication, perspective taking, as well as fundamental social interactions in conversational situations. The therapy lasts for four months and consists of sixteen two‐hour sessions. During the four‐month follow‐up period, a two‐hour refresh meeting is held each month, which provides a summary of the content from the sixteen sessions. CONDITION: Asperger syndrome Atypical autism Autism‐Spectrum‐Disorder: F84.0, F84.1, F84.5 ; F84.0 ; F84.1 ; F84.5 Childhood autism PRIMARY OUTCOME: SRS‐A self‐assessment, change four months after randomization, or after the sixteen therapy sessions over four months SECONDARY OUTCOME: (1a) Difference in overall sum change of the SRS‐A, external assessment ; (1b) Difference in change between external and self‐description in the five subscales of the SRS‐A ; (1c) Difference in change of the modified SRS‐A for the overall sum and the five subscales for external and self‐description ; (2) General psychiatric well‐being [Depression: BDI‐II, global functional level: GAF, social anxiety and deficits in social skills: SASKO] INCLUSION CRITERIA: (+) ASD (ICD‐10: F84.0, F84.5 or F84.1 (provided DSM criterion A, social communication and social interaction, is met) (+) Age between 18 and 65 (+) IQ of at least 80 (+) Relevant psychosocial difficulties (global functioning level (GAF) score = 60) (+) Fluent German language skills of the study participants and parents/partners/other close persons, so that they can complete the questionnaire and understand the instructions (+) Ability of the study participants to understand the nature and individual consequences of the clinical study (+) Signed informed consent (+) Sufficient ability to communicate in groups (+) Reading and writing without significant impairment (+) No or stable psychopharmacological treatment (+) Presence of a person who can complete the informant questionnaire SRS‐A (parent/partner/other close person)