spektrum autyzmu

szkoła

kompetencje emocjonalno-społeczne

KIDSCREEN-10

VAS

badanie pilotażowe

Introduction and objective:
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience difficulties in social communication and emotion regulation, which may negatively affect their quality of life and participation in school activities. The aim of this pilot study is to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of a 6-week school-based socio-emotional skills programme as a component of the psychosocial school environment in children with ASD.

Material and methods:
A prospective pre–post observational study was conducted among 15 schoolchildren with ASD (N = 15) aged 6–12. The programme was carried out in October–November, 2025, and lasted 6 weeks (18 sessions, 3 × 45 minutes per week). Outcomes included weekly use of the Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) assessing mood and tension before and after sessions, the parent-reported KIDSCREEN-10 proxy questionnaire administered at baseline (T0) and post-intervention (T6), as well as the therapist-rated observation sheet completed at baseline (T1) and post-intervention (T6). The analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test (α=0.05).

Results:
The 6-week combined analysis showed that the mean mood scores increased from 3.09 ± 0.87–9.61 ± 0.53, while mean tension scores decreased from 3.16 ± 0.60–0.33 ± 0.24 (p < 0.001 each). The KIDSCREEN-10 proxy total score increased from 28.0–44.8 (p < 0.001). The total score on the observation sheet improved from 10.8–21.9 (p < 0.001). The programme was feasible and well accepted by participants and their families.

Conclusions:
Participation in a brief school-based socio-emotional skills programme was associated with improved mood, reduced tension, and better parent-reported quality of life in children with ASD. Further studies with larger samples, control groups, and follow-up assessments are needed to confirm these findings.