STEPS: Stepped Transition in Education Program for Students With ASD

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.

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Key information

Conditions

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

Age range

16 year–25 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, United States

About this study

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.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

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

Treatment and study plan

STEPS

Behavioral

time-limited behavioral counseling, online materials, training

Primary outcomes

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

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Other

Collaborators

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Registry information

Acronym: STEPS

Important dates

Study start: 2014
Primary completion: 2018
Study completion: 2018
First posted: Jun 11, 2015
Registry last updated: Jul 12, 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