The Article----What Does it all Mean?!

Between pages 598-600 the study is described. I wasn't sure I understood what it all meant so I emailed the teacher who gave me the article in the first place. This was her response:

-All of the participants were between the ages of 13 and 17 years, had social problems reported by a parent, and had a diagnosis of HFA, Asperger's disorder, or Pervasive Development Disorder-NOS

-The study only included teens who wanted to be involved in the group and they also knew that they were being "studied" by a researcher

-The group that got the PEERS were compared with a group that did not. The teens were randomly assigned to the groups. Random assignment is the most effective way researchers have to make the groups similar and is seen as the "gold standard" in experiments that try to figure out if a treatment works, or not

-Since it is unethical for a group not to receive treatment, the other group eventually received the treatment

-Parents and teens were free to withdraw from the study at any time