Testing Conversational Agents as a Digital Companion

Part of paid clinical trials in Bloomington, Indiana.

Sponsor
Friendi.fi Corporation
Study ID
NCT07533331
Status
Recruiting
Apply to this trial

Conditions

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 35 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • self-directed goal coaching — BEHAVIORAL
    a collaborative model for promoting competence and success (COMPASS) combined with Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS).

Study Details

There is a need and opportunity to improve the supports, transitions, and life outcomes of people with autism spectrum disorder. Compared to their neurotypical peers, autistic teenagers and adults report poorer mental health and quality of life and have higher rates of unemployment or underemployment and low participation in post-secondary education. Nearly 40% spend little or no time with friends. Although autism awareness has grown considerably in recent decades, much more can be done to improve the life outcomes for people with autism. Cost-effective, affordable and scalable support systems are needed as well as ongoing assessments and personalized support plans that focus on individual strengths and challenges in different contexts (college, work, community life) across the life span. This requires adaptive interventions and regular consultation with and between stakeholders. It also requires a rigorous approach to measuring outcomes that are not one-size-fits-all and do not expect everyone to reach, or have, the same goals. To meet these needs, the investigators leverage an already successful technology platform with two conversational-relational agents to be a digital companion and coach to autistic young adults (AYA, ages 18 to 35 years). The technology will be used to scale a strong theoretical and conceptual approach that has proven successful in meeting the individual needs and personalized outcomes of autistic students through a collaborative consultation model for promoting competency and success (COMPASS) combined with Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS). To deliver personalized coaching, empathy, and outcomes at scale, GAS/COMPASS was translated into software-driven evidence-based coaching protocols in collaboration with clinical, academic, and community partners. In this study, the digital coaching program and all research protocols are pilot tested in a 10-week experiential trial with AYA.

Key Dates

Start date
Mar 21, 2026
Status verified
Apr 2026
Primary completion
Sep 30, 2026
Completion
Oct 31, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment
38 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Arms

  • Experimental: AGENT
    goal coaching intervention via digital companion
  • Active Comparator: CONTROL
    goal coaching using traditional face-to-face meetings with human counselors and paper-and-pencil materials.

Primary Outcome Measure

Global Mental Health [ Time Frame: 10 weeks ]

Central Contacts

Locations (3)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Indiana Institute on Disability and CommunityBloomingtonIndiana47408
Judith Gross, PhD
[email protected]
812-855-7484
Judith Gross, PhD (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)
Ball State UniversityMuncieIndiana47306
Evette Simmons-Reed, PhD
[email protected]
765-285-2762
Evette Simmons-Reed, PhD (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)
Norton Children's Autism Center502-588-0736 x 50608LouisvilleKentucky40202
Grace Kuravackel, PhD
[email protected]
502-588-0736
Grace Kuravackel, PhD (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)

Find similar trials in Bloomington, IN

By condition
Autism spectrum disorder
By specialty
Pediatrics
By research site
Indiana Institute on Disability and Community· Bloomington, INBall State University· Muncie, INNorton Children's Autism Center502-588-0736 x 50608· Louisville, KY

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