Improving Academic and Social Functioning in Middle-Schoolers With Autism

Part of paid clinical trials in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Sponsor
Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati
Study ID
NCT06705907
Status
Recruiting
Apply to this trial

Conditions

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
10 Years - 15 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Achieving Independence and Mastery in School (AIMS) — BEHAVIORAL
    Intervention targeting academic executive functioning
  • Building Essential Social Skills for Teens (BESST) — BEHAVIORAL
    Intervention targeting social skills

Study Details

The goal of this study is to test how well two group interventions work for middle-school children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). One of the interventions focuses on teaching parents and adolescent skills to help improve their social functioning and the other focuses on teaching parents and adolescents skills to improve organization, planning, and study skills. Eligible participants will be randomly (like a coin flip) assigned to attend one of the two interventions.

Key Dates

Start date
Dec 1, 2024
Status verified
Mar 2026
Primary completion
May 31, 2029
Completion
Aug 31, 2029

Study Design

Enrollment
224 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Experimental: Achieving Independence & Mastery in School (AIMS)
    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.
  • Active Comparator: Building Essential Social Skills for Teens (BESST)
    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.

Primary Outcome Measure

Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning, 2nd Edition [ Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks. ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Cincinnati Children's HospitalCincinnatiOhio45229
Ellie Thoma
[email protected]
513-636-5994
Leanne Tamm, Ph.D. (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)

Find similar trials in Cincinnati, OH

By condition
Autism spectrum disorder
By specialty
Pediatrics
By research site
Cincinnati Children's Hospital· Cincinnati, OH

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