OBJECTIVE Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have significant impairment in social competence and reduced social salience. SENSE Theatre, a peer-mediated, theater-based intervention has demonstrated posttreatment gains in face memory and social communication. The multisite randomized clinical trial compared the Experimental (EXP; SENSE Theatre) to an Active Control Condition (ACC; Tackling Teenage Training, TTT) at pretest, posttest, and follow-up. It was hypothesized that the EXP group would demonstrate greater incidental face memory (IFM) and better social behavior (interaction with novel peers) and social functioning (social engagement in daily life) than the ACC group, and posttest IFM would mediate the treatment effect on follow-up social behavior and functioning. METHOD Two hundred ninety participants were randomized to EXP (N = 144) or ACC (N = 146). Per protocol sample (≥ 7/10 sessions) resulted in 207 autistic children 10-16 years. Event-related potentials measured IFM. Naive examiners measured social behavior (Vocal Expressiveness, Quality of Rapport, Social Anxiety) and functioning (Social Communication). Structural equation modeling was used to assess treatment effects. RESULTS SENSE Theatre participants showed significantly better IFM (b = .874, p = .039) at posttest, and significant indirect effects on follow-up Vocal Expressiveness a × b = .064, with 90% CI [.014, .118] and Quality of Rapport a × b = .032, with 90% CI [.002, .087] through posttest IFM. CONCLUSIONS SENSE Theatre increases social salience as reflected by IFM, which in turn affected Vocal Expressiveness and Quality of Rapport. Results indicate that a neural mechanism supporting social cognition and driven by social salience is engaged by the treatment and has a generalized, indirect effect on clinically meaningful functional outcomes related to core symptoms of autism. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

中文翻译：

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通过同伴、游戏和表现来建立自闭症青少年的社会显着性：一项多中心随机临床试验。

目的 患有自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD) 的人社交能力显着受损，社交显着性降低。SENSE Theatre 是一种以同伴为媒介、以戏剧为基础的干预措施，已证明治疗后在面部记忆和社交沟通方面有所改善。多中心随机临床试验在预测、后测和随访中将实验（EXP；SENSE Theatre）与主动控制条件（ACC；Tackling Teenage Training，TTT）进行了比较。假设 EXP 组比 ACC 组表现出更大的偶然面部记忆 (IFM)、更好的社交行为（与新同伴的互动）和社交功能（日常生活中的社交参与），并且测试后的 IFM 会介导治疗效果后续的社会行为和功能。方法 290 名参与者被随机分配至 EXP（N = 144）或 ACC（N = 146）。每个方案样本（≥ 7/10 次）产生了 207 名 10-16 岁自闭症儿童。测量 IFM 的事件相关电位。天真的检查者测量社会行为（声音表达能力、融洽质量、社交焦虑）和功能（社交沟通）。使用结构方程模型来评估治疗效果。结果 Sense Theater 参与者在后测中表现出明显更好的 IFM (b = .874, p = .039)，并对后续声音表现力 a × b = .064 产生显着的间接影响，90% CI [.014, .118]融洽质量 a × b = .032，通过后测 IFM 获得 90% CI [.002, .087]。结论 正如 IFM 所反映的，SENSE 剧院提高了社会显着性，这反过来又影响了声音表现力和融洽的质量。结果表明，治疗涉及支持社会认知并由社会显着性驱动的神经机制，并对与自闭症核心症状相关的具有临床意义的功能结果产生普遍的、间接的影响。（PsycInfo 数据库记录 (c) 2023 APA，保留所有权利）。