Arnold 5.1 adds operators, which among other things, allow you to override parameters in ass files loaded by procedural nodes.
Here’s a quick example using the brand new MtoA 3.0
I exported some particles from Softimage, loaded them into Maya with an aiStandin (aka an Arnold procedural), and then used a set_parameter operator to scale the radius by 0.5
Note that I connect my operator by setting the Target Operator in the Render Settings.
I can chain two set_parameter operators together, to set the mode and then scale the radius: