Improving Academic and Social Functioning in Middle-Schoolers With Autism
Purpose
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.
Conditions
- Autism
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Between 10 Years and 15 Years
- Eligible Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- Diagnosis of autism - No intellectual disability - Problems with organization, materials management, and planning and prioritization - Problems with social skills - Fully included in middle school - Stable medication and behavioral treatment regime
Exclusion Criteria
- Home schooled - Severe co-occurring psychopathology (e.g., aggression, suicidal) - Non English-speaking
Study Design
- Phase
- N/A
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel Assignment
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
|
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. |
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Recruiting Locations
Cincinnati Children's Hospital
Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
Cincinnati, Ohio 45229
More Details
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati