High School SUCCESS: Vocational Soft Skills Program for Transition-Age ASD Youth

NCT04953793 | Completed Phase 1

• 1 other identifier: R34MH111491
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 42
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

By utilizing community-based participatory research methods, this research was conducted in collaboration with the community through our partnership of researchers, educators, providers and consumers (Active Collaborative Hub for Individuals with ASD to Enhance Vocation and Education- ACHIEVE) to adapt a vocational soft skills program, Supported, Comprehensive Cognitive Enhancement \& Social Skills (SUCCESS), for Transition Age Youth (TAY). The first step (years 1-2) involved adapting the intervention for autistic TAY by including feedback from multiple stakeholders and developing a curriculum to be implemented in both High Schools and Transition programs for the specific needs of autistic TAY and alpha piloting it. It involved understanding further the educational context for TAY students and current services available to prepare students for secondary outcomes of employment and/or college through a county wide survey. Step 2 (years 2-3) included pilot testing the feasibility, acceptability, implementation procedures and initial youth outcomes of the TAY SUCCESS intervention and further refining the curriculum and protocols. Findings demonstrated improvements in executive functioning and social functioning targets as well as distal outcomes of self-efficacy, mental health, educational and work behaviors and attitudes. The study results were disseminated through the ACHIEVE group as well as at conferences, website and publication.

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Keywords

executive functioning; social cognitions; social communication; transition age youth

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-2/BRIEF-A)

  Self and Parent report of executive functioning skills. Higher scores indicate more executive functioning problems

  baseline to 6 month post

• Delis Kaplan Executive Function Scale (DKEFS)

  performance based measure of executive functioning skills. Higher scores indicate more executive functioning abilities

  baseline to 6 month post

• Social Responsiveness Scale 2 (SRS-2)

  parent report social functioning scale. Higher scores indicate more social functioning problems

  baseline to 6 month post

Study Arms (2)

TAY SUCCESS intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

This intervention group received the TAY SUCCESS intervention over the course of 1 school year approximately 30 sessions.

Behavioral: TAY SUCCESS

Usual Care

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This usual care group received typical High school or transition program curriculum over the course of 1 school year.

Other: Usual Care

Interventions

TAY SUCCESS BEHAVIORAL

TAY SUCCESS stands for transition age youth supported, comprehensive cognitive enhancement and social skills. The cognitive-behavioral intervention teaches a number of strategies for executive functioning, social cognitive functioning and social communication.

TAY SUCCESS intervention

Usual Care OTHER

Usual care involved the typical vocational supportive education program delivered in the educational setting

Usual Care

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 15 Years - 22 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• autism spectrum disorder
• yrs
• communicative English language
• enrolled in participating high school or transition program

You may not qualify if:

• intellectual disability
• Other significant mental health

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego: lead

Study Sites (1)

Rady Children's Hospital San Diego

San Diego, California, 92123, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder; Communication

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 1
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: A small feasibility randomized clinical trial with randomization occurring at school site level. Two sites randomized to intervention and two sites randomized to control conditions.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 11, 2021
• First Posted: July 8, 2021
• Study Start: November 6, 2017
• Primary Completion: January 20, 2020
• Study Completion: December 31, 2020
• Last Updated: July 8, 2021

Record last verified: 2021-06

Locations

US (1)