NCT04802434

Strengthening Skills Behavioral Intervention for Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Randomized Controlled Trial of Strengthening Skills, A Multi-Component Behavioral Intervention to Increase Functional Independence During Aging in Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 42 (actual)
• Sponsor: Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 21 Years – 70 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to examine changes in adaptive functioning, quality of life, and prospective memory among adults with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) who complete Strengthening Skills, a multi-faceted, behavioral intervention that combines the PEERS Social Skills program with cognitive compensation training, mindfulness-based emotional regulation, and support group components. Participants and their study partners (e.g., spouse, parent, friend) will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: Strengthening Skills, PEERS only, or a delayed treatment control group. The Strengthening Skills group will meet weekly for 3 hours for 16 weeks and will learn strategies for gaining and maintaining independence and emotion regulation. Participants will also learn strategies from the PEERS Social Skills Program. The PEERS only group will meet weekly for 1.5 hours for 16 weeks and will only learn strategies from the PEERS Social Skills Program. The delayed treatment control group will participant in data collection at four time points over a 10-month wait period, after which, they will be enrolled into the Strengthening Skills Program. Behavioral self-report data will be collected and a prospective memory assessment will be conducted before and after participation in the 16-week programs. Behavioral self-report data will also be collected at remote 3- and 6-month follow-up visits.

Conditions

• Autism Spectrum Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Strengthening Skills Program	The Strengthening Skills Program is a new, multi-component intervention. It includes three components: (1) Forming habits to compensate for the difficulties many adults with ASD have with thinking flexibly, planning, and time management. It will emphasize habit-forming behaviors to compensate for weaknesses in functional skills by training on practical techniques; (2) Content from the PEERS Social Skills program to target social challenges, and (3) strategies derived from Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction to target emotion regulation.
BEHAVIORAL	PEERS Social Skills Program	PEERS® is a well-established social communication training program, initially developed for adolescents, and more recently extended to young adults with ASD. Program content will be adapted slightly so as to be appropriate for older adults.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-04-01
• Primary completion: 2023-04-30
• Completion: 2023-04-30
• First posted: 2021-03-17
• Last updated: 2023-11-22

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States