A Trial of the Launching! to Adulthood Program

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Launching intervention (Pagan et al., 2024) in improving adaptive functioning, transition readiness, and social cognition in young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), compared to a delayed treatment control group, to examine whether the Launching intervention leads to improvements in executive functioning, co-occurring mental health symptoms, and quality of life, as measured by caregiver and self-report assessments, to assess the maintenance of treatment gains 12 weeks post-treatment and to replicate the findings of the Launching pilot study in an independent sample of young adults with ASD.

Condition

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 18 Years and 25 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  • confirmed case of ASD from a licensed mental health or medical professional - score of >14 on the Social Communication Questionnaire-Lifetime (SCQ-L) completed with the mother or father - meet DSM-5 criteria for ASD based on a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) ASD symptom checklist - willing and motivated to participate in the treatment - a parent willing to participate - verbal intelligence quotient (IQ) score >70 as assessed by the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test 2nd edition revised (KBIT-2-R)

Exclusion Criteria

  • history of a psychotic disorder or current psychotic symptoms - suicidal ideation with intent or plan - current alcohol or other substance use disorder rated severe - concurrent enrollment in another clinical trial for autism spectrum disorder - expression of unwillingness to complete study procedures

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Crossover Assignment
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Launching! to adulthood group therapy
  • Behavioral: Launching! to adulthood group therapy
    Participants will be in a 12-week therapy program that includes weekly group sessions and individual coaching.
  • Behavioral: standard of care
    Participants will receive a list of resources
Active Comparator
No intervention then Launching! to adulthood group therapy
  • Behavioral: Launching! to adulthood group therapy
    Participants will be in a 12-week therapy program that includes weekly group sessions and individual coaching.
  • Behavioral: standard of care
    Participants will receive a list of resources

Recruiting Locations

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Houston 4699066, Texas 4736286 77030
Contact:
Antonio Pagan, PhD
(713) 486-2700
Antonio.Pagan@uth.tmc.edu

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Study Contact

Antonio Pagan, PhD
(713) 486-2700
Antonio.Pagan@uth.tmc.edu