The Impact of a Virtual Magic Trick Training Program

The Impact of a Virtual Magic Trick Training Program on Social Emotional Functioning in Adolescents With Autism

The proposed project will attempt to confirm the benefits of a structured magic trick training program (MTTP) experience in adolescents with autism. Benefits of participating in a 6-week virtual MTTP will be evaluated using validated assessments to measure social-emotional competencies.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Autism; Pervasive Developmental Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: magic trick training

Detailed Description

The proposed study will employ a RCT to test the two hypotheses. The design of the MTTP is based on the SEL framework. The study will incorporate a 2 x 3 two-way factorial design with repeated measures at three time points. The two between-subject factor conditions will be participation in a MTTP versus a waitlist control condition that will be evaluated at baseline, immediately post-program, and at 6-week follow-up (within-subject factor conditions). Sixty adolescents with autism will be recruited for this study.

Aim 1. Evaluate the therapeutic benefits of a 6-week virtual MTTP on social-emotional functioning, and emotional stress among adolescents with autism.

Hypothesis #1: Adolescents with autism who participate in a virtual MTTP will demonstrate better social-emotional functioning, and a reduction in emotional stress compared to waitlist controls at the conclusion of a 6-week MTTP.

Hypothesis #2: The positive impact of the virtual MTTP on the participants' improved social-emotional functioning, and reduction in emotional stress will be maintained at 6-week follow-up.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 60
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Hon Yuen; Phone Number: 205-934-6301; Email: yuen@uab.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Kimberly Kirklin; Phone Number: 205-934-0862; Email: kkirklin@uab.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Alabama
    • Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35294
      • Recruiting
      • University of Alabama at Birmingham
      • Contact: Hon K Yuen, PhD
      • Principal Investigator: Hon K Yuen, PhD

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 12 years to 18 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Confirmed diagnosis (with proof of evidence) of autism;
• Aged between 11 and 18 years (younger children may lack the inductive reasoning skills to learn magic tricks);
• Have functional hand dexterity to do magic tricks
• Intact cognition as indicated by a score above the corresponding cut-off point of the child's age on the Mini-Mental Examination for Children; and
• Access to internet and a computer or smartphone that can perform videoconferencing.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe hearing or visual impairments that prevent online learning;
• Previous participation in organized magic learning program or camp;
• Current or planned participation in psychological therapy or a clinical trial during the study period that could affect the outcomes of the study.

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: magic trick training; Participation in a 6 weekly virtual magic trick training camp with three lessons per week.	Behavioral: magic trick training; A typical session will begin with the magician demonstrating a magic trick then revealing the secret move of the trick.The participants will learn and practice each trick. With assistance from the magician, participants will develop an oralstory presentation for the trick. After participants master one trick, the magician will demonstrate and teach the next.
No Intervention: waitlist control; Participation in usual daily activities.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)	SDQ (peer problem scale and prosocial scale) consists of 10 items rated on a 3-point Likert-type scale (not true=1 to certainly true=3), with higher scores indicating higher psychological problems. Some items require reverse scoring.	baseline
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)	SDQ (peer problem scale and prosocial scale) consists of 10 items rated on a 3-point Likert-type scale (not true=1 to certainly true=3), with higher scores indicating higher psychological problems. Some items require reverse scoring.	at 6 week
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)	SDQ (peer problem scale and prosocial scale) consists of 10 items rated on a 3-point Likert-type scale (not true=1 to certainly true=3), with higher scores indicating higher psychological problems. Some items require reverse scoring.	at 12 week
Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (RSES)	RSES consists of 10 items rated on a 4-point Likert-type scale, with higher scores indicate higher self-esteem.	baseline
Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (RSES)	RSES consists of 10 items rated on a 4-point Likert-type scale, with higher scores indicate higher self-esteem.	at 6 week
Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (RSES)	RSES consists of 10 items rated on a 4-point Likert-type scale, with higher scores indicate higher self-esteem.	at 12 week
Self-efficacy Questionnaire for Children	It consists of 16 items rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale (not at all=1 to very well=5) with higher scores indicating higher self-efficacy.	baseline
Self-efficacy Questionnaire for Children	It consists of 16 items rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale (not at all=1 to very well=5) with higher scores indicating higher self-efficacy.	at 6 week
Self-efficacy Questionnaire for Children	It consists of 16 items rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale (not at all=1 to very well=5) with higher scores indicating higher self-efficacy.	at 12 week
Test of Adolescents Social Skills Knowledge (TASSK)	The TASSK is a self-report 30-item questionnaire that measures knowledge of specific social skills. Scores range between 0 to 26 with higher score reflecting greater knowledge of adolescent social skills.	baseline
Test of Adolescents Social Skills Knowledge (TASSK)	The TASSK is a self-report 30-item questionnaire that measures knowledge of specific social skills. Scores range between 0 to 26 with higher score reflecting greater knowledge of adolescent social skills.	at 6 week
Test of Adolescents Social Skills Knowledge (TASSK)	The TASSK is a self-report 30-item questionnaire that measures knowledge of specific social skills. Scores range between 0 to 26 with higher score reflecting greater knowledge of adolescent social skills.	at 12 week
UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3	The UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) is a 20-item measure that assesses how often a person feels disconnected from others. Using a 4-point rating scale (1= never; 4 = always), participants answer 20 questions, such as "How often do you feel left out?" and "How often do you feel part of a group of friends?" Researchers later reverse-code the positively worded items so that high values mean more loneliness, and then calculate a score for each respondent by averaging their ratings.	baseline
UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3	The UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) is a 20-item measure that assesses how often a person feels disconnected from others. Using a 4-point rating scale (1= never; 4 = always), participants answer 20 questions, such as "How often do you feel left out?" and "How often do you feel part of a group of friends?" Researchers later reverse-code the positively worded items so that high values mean more loneliness, and then calculate a score for each respondent by averaging their ratings.	at 6 week
UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3	The UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) is a 20-item measure that assesses how often a person feels disconnected from others. Using a 4-point rating scale (1= never; 4 = always), participants answer 20 questions, such as "How often do you feel left out?" and "How often do you feel part of a group of friends?" Researchers later reverse-code the positively worded items so that high values mean more loneliness, and then calculate a score for each respondent by averaging their ratings.	at 12 week
Best Friend Index	The Best Friend Index is a scale for the measurement of the features of positive and negative friendship consisting of 18 items. Each item is answered on a 5-point scale (from 1= Never to 5=Very often).	baseline
Best Friend Index	The Best Friend Index is a scale for the measurement of the features of positive and negative friendship consisting of 18 items. Each item is answered on a 5-point scale (from 1= Never to 5=Very often).	at 6 week
Best Friend Index	The Best Friend Index is a scale for the measurement of the features of positive and negative friendship consisting of 18 items. Each item is answered on a 5-point scale (from 1= Never to 5=Very often).	at 12 week
Quality of Socialization Questionnaire	It is a 12-item self-report and parent-report measure to assess the frequency of adolescents get-together, number of friends involved and the level of conflict during get-togethers over the previous month.	baseline
Quality of Socialization Questionnaire	It is a 12-item self-report and parent-report measure to assess the frequency of adolescents get-together, number of friends involved and the level of conflict during get-togethers over the previous month.	at 6 week
Quality of Socialization Questionnaire	It is a 12-item self-report and parent-report measure to assess the frequency of adolescents get-together, number of friends involved and the level of conflict during get-togethers over the previous month.	at 12 week
Autism Social Skills Profile	It is a checklist that provides a comprehensive measure of social functioning of children and adolescents who are on the Autism Spectrum. The 49 items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale with 1=never, 2=sometimes, 3=often, and 4=very often. The test yields three subscale scores: Social/Emotional Reciprocity (SER), Social Participation/Avoidance (SPA), and Detrimental Social Behaviors (DSB), as well as a total score.	baseline
Autism Social Skills Profile	It is a checklist that provides a comprehensive measure of social functioning of children and adolescents who are on the Autism Spectrum. The 49 items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale with 1=never, 2=sometimes, 3=often, and 4=very often. The test yields three subscale scores: Social/Emotional Reciprocity (SER), Social Participation/Avoidance (SPA), and Detrimental Social Behaviors (DSB), as well as a total score.	at 6 week
Autism Social Skills Profile	It is a checklist that provides a comprehensive measure of social functioning of children and adolescents who are on the Autism Spectrum. The 49 items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale with 1=never, 2=sometimes, 3=often, and 4=very often. The test yields three subscale scores: Social/Emotional Reciprocity (SER), Social Participation/Avoidance (SPA), and Detrimental Social Behaviors (DSB), as well as a total score.	at 12 week
Stanford Social Dimensions Scale	The SSDS is more comprehensive, sensitive and specific compared to other instruments in terms of capturing key social processes that are necessary for understanding of social deficits in conditions. The 71 items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale with 1=never, 2=rarely, 3=sometimes, 4=often, and 5=always.	baseline
Stanford Social Dimensions Scale	IThe SSDS is more comprehensive, sensitive and specific compared to other instruments in terms of capturing key social processes that are necessary for understanding of social deficits in conditions. The 71 items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale with 1=never, 2=rarely, 3=sometimes, 4=often, and 5=always.	at 6 week
Stanford Social Dimensions Scale	The SSDS is more comprehensive, sensitive and specific compared to other instruments in terms of capturing key social processes that are necessary for understanding of social deficits in conditions. The 71 items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale with 1=never, 2=rarely, 3=sometimes, 4=often, and 5=always.	at 12 week

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Emotional stress	the amount of cortisol in participants' hair.	baseline
Emotional stress	the amount of cortisol in participants' hair.	at 6 week
Emotional stress	the amount of cortisol in participants' hair.	at 12 week

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Hon Yuen, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Spencer K, Yuen HK, Jenkins GR, Kirklin K, Vogtle LK, Davis D. The 'magic' of magic camp from the perspective of children with hemiparesis. J Exerc Rehabil. 2021 Feb 23;17(1):15-20. doi: 10.12965/jer.2040802.401. eCollection 2021 Feb.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 27, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 5, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 15, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): December 27, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 6, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 3, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Autism Spectrum Disorder; Mental Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Autistic Disorder; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive
• Other Study ID Numbers: 1909503-38

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No