AIMS targets executive functioning skills using evidence-based strategies for youth with ASD to promote increased independence related to academics. Each session involves a review of a real world practice assignment and a didactic component illustrating key concepts followed by an in-session practice of the key concepts and strategies with coaching from a therapist. A behavior agreement is used to identify specific goals for adolescents to work on in collaboration with their caregivers and specific rewards earned for meeting their goals. Adolescents are assigned a real world practice assignment each session that consists of additional practice of strategies to further build and generalize skills between sessions.

BESST targets social skills using evidence-based strategies and includes sessions related to starting, joining, maintaining, and ending conversations and making, maintaining, and deepening friendships. Each skill will be introduced in a didactic lesson which includes modeling of the targeted skill by a therapist. Adolescents will role-play new skills during the session before receiving a homework assignment to practice the skill at home. Caregivers will receive training in social-communication difficulties in ASD and suggestions for supporting development of these skills. The sessions are specifically focused on generalizing newly learned skills to both home and school.

Intervention targeting academic executive functioning

The BRIEF-2 assesses real-world EF behaviors in the home and school environments.

The T-scores range from 30:99 with higher scores being worse.

The HPC assesses Homework Completion and Homework Management. Scores for Homework Completion range from 0 to 36 and for Homework Management from 0 to 21. Lower scores are better.

The teacher-completed APRS assesses how well the adolescent is performing academically with 3 subscales (Academic Success, Academic Productivity, and Impulse Control). The two scores to be used in the current study include the Academic Success score which ranges from 7 to 35, while the Academic Productivity score ranges from 12 to 60. Higher scores are better.

The COSS is a psychometrically strong rating scale assessing Organized Actions, Task Planning, and Memory & Materials Management. The T scores for each subscale range from 20 to 83 and higher scores indicate worse functioning.