STEPS: Stepped Transition in Education Program for Students With ASD (STEPS)

July 9, 2019 updated by: Yasuo Miyazaki, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Young adults who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) without co-occurring intellectual impairment face a fairly unique set of challenges as they transition out of secondary school. These students are often quite capable of succeeding in higher education and many of them have interest in pursuing advanced degrees, but the nature of their disability and associated deficits (e.g., poor time management and poor self-regulation) may impede success. Individualized, appropriately timed, and developmentally sensitive transition and support services may promote optimal outcomes for these young people. The goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive program to promote successful transition of students with ASD from high school to post-secondary education.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The investigators propose to refine and then evaluate a novel transition support and intervention program for adolescents and young adults with ASD: STEPS [Stepped Transition in Education Program for Students with ASD]. By targeting improved self-regulation (SR) and self-determination (SD) in young people with ASD, the investigators assert that this program may have positive outcomes with respective to college adjustment and functional behavior. Although the program will be finalized during the first phase of the proposed project, at present STEPS is comprised of two levels (or steps), which match the student's particular needs in relation to transition planning. In Step 1, students facing transition (i.e., have identified the college they will attend (either 2-year or 4-year institution) but are still in high school) and their caregivers will receive information to assist in transition planning, undergo readiness self-assessments (to identify degree of preparedness for post-secondary school), and participate in interactive sessions online and in person to promote self-knowledge and determination. The goal of Step 1 is to assist families and students with transition planning, specifically ensuring that families and students have the tools needed to make informed choices and take necessary steps (e.g., remediating identified skill deficits) to increase the likelihood of a successful transition out of high school. In Step 2, college students with ASD will receive fairly intensive supports and interventions, including individual counseling, structured support services, social integration activities, and coaching to promote academic and social success. The following specific aims are proposed.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

50

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Virginia
      • Blacksburg, Virginia, United States, 24061
        • Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

16 years to 25 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Must be 16 to 25 years
  • Must have clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder
  • Must be preparing for postsecondary education or enrolled in postsecondary education

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Intellectual disability
  • Psychiatric disturbance that warrants immediate treatment

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: STEPS
structured psychosocial transition support that includes individual counseling, and education/training for parent and school personnel
time-limited behavioral counseling, online materials, training
No Intervention: TAU
typical transition services and supports

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Questionnaire to measure feasibility and program acceptability
Time Frame: 16 weeks
parent- and youth self-report measure of utility of program, acceptability, and consumer satisfaction
16 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

September 1, 2014

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2018

Study Completion (Actual)

October 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 4, 2015

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 9, 2015

First Posted (Estimate)

June 11, 2015

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 12, 2019

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 9, 2019

Last Verified

July 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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