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

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: TAY SUCCESS; Other: Usual Care

Detailed Description

Aim: With our ACHIEVE partners , develop the High School Supported, Comprehensive Cognitive Enhancement and Social Skills (SUCCESS) program to fit the needs of transition-age youth with ASD within the community educational system.

1. Standardize the TAY SUCCESS program by developing a facilitator manual, student workbook and corresponding support person materials.
2. Develop a training protocol that can be individualized and implemented within the HS educational system to provide initial training and ongoing coaching for educators to reach and sustain intervention fidelity.

Aim: Conduct a pilot study to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and implementation procedures (recruitment, randomization, retention & training strategies) of TAY SUCCESS and to obtain estimates of effects to support a future large-scale effectiveness trial.

1. Examine intervention feasibility, acceptability, satisfaction, and sustainability.
2. Examine preliminary outcomes (executive functioning and social functioning)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 42
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • San Diego, California, United States, 92123
      • Rady Children's Hospital San Diego

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 15 years to 22 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• autism spectrum disorder
• 15-22 yrs
• communicative English language
• enrolled in participating high school or transition program

Exclusion Criteria:

• intellectual disability
• Other significant mental health

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: TAY SUCCESS intervention; This intervention group received the TAY SUCCESS intervention over the course of 1 school year approximately 30 sessions.	Behavioral: TAY SUCCESS; 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.
Active Comparator: Usual Care; This usual care group received typical High school or transition program curriculum over the course of 1 school year.	Other: Usual Care; Usual care involved the typical vocational supportive education program delivered in the educational setting

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
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

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 6, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 20, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): December 31, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 11, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 28, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): July 8, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 8, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 28, 2021
• Last Verified: June 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: executive functioning; social communication; social cognitions; transition age youth
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: R34MH111491 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No