"ACT" for Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

The investigators will develop and pilot test an intervention called "ACT for Parents" which aims to decrease stress and improve quality of life in parents of children < 15 years who have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. A small randomized trial testing phase will be conducted to gather initial data on the treatment feasibility and acceptability, detect treatment effects between groups (ACT for Parents versus Treatment as Usual), and to refine the treatment design for a future clinical trial.

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Key information

Conditions

Stress Autism Spectrum Disorder Autistic Disorder Child Development Disorders, Pervasive Mental Disorders Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Lurie Center | Massachusetts General Hospital

Lexington, Massachusetts, 02421, United States

About this study

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an intervention that fosters acceptance of uncomfortable thoughts and emotions as a coping strategy, and encourages engagement in valued behavior in the presence of these emotions. ACT has been successfully applied to parents with similar mental health presentations. Using a randomized controlled study design, investigators seek to gather initial data on the treatment feasibility and acceptability, detect treatment effects in a cohort of parents who have a child (under the age of 15) with autism spectrum disorder.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

A parent with a child (under the age of 15) with a diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorder-NOS, Asperger's Disorder or Autistic Disorder
Child with ASD diagnosed by a mental health or medical professional
Must be comfortable speaking and reading and understanding English

Exclusion criteria

Inability to attend sessions in person on the specified date/time/location of the intervention sessions
unwillingness to be audio-taped should randomization into the experimental (ACT) group occur.

Treatment and study plan

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Behavioral

Other names: ACT

Primary outcomes

Change in Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II Score

Time frame: From Basline to Month 2 (post-intervention) and from Month 2 to Month 3 (maintenance)

The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II, Bond et al., 2011) is a 10-item Likert scale that measures experiential acceptance (i.e., tendency to accept, rather than avoid, uncomfortable internal experiences) in adult samples.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Massachusetts General Hospital

Other

Collaborators

Organization for Autism Research

Registry information

Official study title

Taking ACTion: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Important dates

Study start: 2014
Primary completion: 2016
Study completion: 2016
First posted: Oct 3, 2014
Registry last updated: Aug 13, 2019

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed