Social Cognition and Interaction Training for Autism

NCT ID: NCT02382172

Last Updated: 2017-04-25

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 44 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2015-01-31
• Study Completion Date: 2017-01-31

Brief Summary

Purpose: To collect outcome measures such as eye tracking and questionnaire data prior to and following a group based clinical therapy program to determine the effectiveness of the therapy approach. The therapy program is aimed at improving social cognitions and skills of individuals who find social situations difficult, stressful and/or uncomfortable and with a desire to enhance skills required for social interactions.

Participants: Cohorts of individuals aged 10-69 years old with symptoms of a neurodevelopment disorder, who have general difficulty with social interactions.

Procedures: Participants enrolled in a clinical therapy program for improvement of social cognitions and skills will complete eye tracking tasks, several questionnaires and rating scales, and a diagnostic interview prior to and following the 8 week therapy program. The post treatment assessments will be conducted within a week of the therapy completion and then again approximately 2 months after the last therapy session. The entire study duration is expected to be approximately 17 weeks. These outcome measures will measure the effectiveness of the treatment.

Conditions

Autism; Social Behavior

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Social Cognition and Interaction Training for Autism (SCIT-A)

The measures the investigators are giving assess participants' initial level of social deficits and the extent to which the therapy did or did not help their social skills. The research team will compare the level of difficulty that participants first reported with their subjective evaluation of their experience in the group sessions to determine whether the program is clinically useful for further development. The investigators will also have the participants complete eye tracking paradigms to assess possible changes in social functioning after completing the Social Cognition and Interaction Training for Autism (SCIT-A) program.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Social Cognition and Interaction Training for Autism (SCIT-A)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The group therapy program is aimed at improving social cognitions and skills of individuals who find social situations difficult, stressful and/or uncomfortable and with a desire to enhance skills required for social interactions.

Treatment As Usual (TAU)

Continuation of services being given upon study entry.

Group Type: OTHER

Treatment as Usual (TAU)

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants in the treatment as usual (TAU) group will continue to receive other interventions (e.g., individual therapy, job skills coaching) during the Social Skills Clinic. No participants in either group will participate in other group-based interventions concurrently with their participation in this study.

Interventions

Social Cognition and Interaction Training for Autism (SCIT-A)

The group therapy program is aimed at improving social cognitions and skills of individuals who find social situations difficult, stressful and/or uncomfortable and with a desire to enhance skills required for social interactions.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Treatment as Usual (TAU)

Participants in the treatment as usual (TAU) group will continue to receive other interventions (e.g., individual therapy, job skills coaching) during the Social Skills Clinic. No participants in either group will participate in other group-based interventions concurrently with their participation in this study.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. Between the ages of 13-69.

2. Symptoms of a neurodevelopmental disorder.

3. English as primary language and ability to speak in fluent, full length sentences: Treatment will be conducted in a group setting in English.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Inability to speak English fluently.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 10 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 69 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Gabriel Dichter, MA, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Locations

Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities

Carrboro, North Carolina, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

14-2804

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id