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NCT Number: NCT05875376

Establish the Couple Intervention Program for Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder

The development of adult intimate relationships and the transition into couplehood are part of most people's life cycles, but these transitions become very challenging for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in as much as social interactions, emotional communication, and reciprocity, which are essential for interpersonal relationships, are made more difficult due to the condition itself. In the Adult ASD Clinic of National Taiwan University Hospital, we observe that the wives of the ASD husband suffer from long-term frustration, loneliness and helplessness, and are frequently experience anxiety and depression, that in turns changes the family's function and impacts on children's mental health. To date, there are limited intervention models focusing on couple therapy for ASD adults (or neurodiverse couple). Given the strong needs of clinical service, this study aims to identify the common problems of the ASD couples and develop a program to improve their partner relationships.

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Key information

Conditions

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

Age range

20 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

National Taiwan University Hospital

Taipei, Taiwan

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Yi-Ling Chien, MD, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+886223123456#66013

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • one person of each couple has either Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis or the autism spectrum quotient scoring above or equal to 26
  • able to communicate in Chinese
  • Wechsler Intelligence scoring above 70

Exclusion criteria

  • Psychiatric disorder (i.e. schizophrenia, substance abuse)
  • unable to communication (i.e. visual or auditory impairment)

Treatment and study plan

Couple group therapy

Behavioral
  • Introduction of "I" statements
  • Focus of each conversation
  • Emotion acknowledgement
  • Self-assurance and positive feedback
  • teamwork and cooperation
  • Reflection

Primary outcomes

  1. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, ADOS

    Time frame: 6 weeks

    range from 0 to 8 for each item. Higher the score, worse the symptoms

  2. Autism Spectrum Quotient

    Time frame: 6 weeks

    range from 0 to 3 for each item, total score of 50. Higher the score, wrose the related symptoms.

  3. Empathy Quotient

    Time frame: 6 weeks

    range from 0 to 3 for each item, total score of 40. Higher the score, worse the empathy

  4. Social Responsiveness Scale, SRS

    Time frame: 6 weeks

    65 questions, range from 1 to 5. Higher the score, worse the symptom

  5. Quality of socialization questionnaire, QSQ

    Time frame: 6 weeks

    selected part of the questionnaire to examine the quality of interaction. Higher the score, better the socialization

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Yi-Ling Chien

CONTACT

[email protected]

+886223123456#66013

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

National Taiwan University Hospital

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
May 25, 2023
Registry last updated
Jul 31, 2026

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.

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