UC Santa Barbara

Social media use has become a popular tool for modern social communication. Many autistic adults report a preference for computer-mediated communication and experience a range of benefits from using social media, including increased happiness and closer friendships. While there are many potential positive consequences to an active online presence, autistic adults are at increased risk of challenges, including cyber-victimization. To date, no interventions exist that specifically support autistic adults with safe and effective social media use. The Socialization, Education, and Learning, For the Internet (SELFI) program is a social media skills group intervention that was developed to support socially vulnerable individuals with online socialization. The present study utilized a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the preliminary feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of the virtual group SELFI program. A total of 26 autistic adults (mean age = 24.3 years) were randomized to the SELFI program or an eight-week waitlist condition, with 19 participants completing the study. Results related to recruitment, attendance, and fidelity of implementation were collected and supported program feasibility. Attrition and surveys from participants and peer mentors reflect treatment acceptability and provide feedback regarding intervention and study protocols. Preliminary results related to treatment outcomes support the SELFI program as efficacious as demonstrated by improvements in Facebook behavior and a reduction in difficulty related to individualized goals. These findings establish a promising foundation of evidence related to the innovative social media skills intervention for autistic adults.