Targeting the Sensory Disturbance in Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study aims to establish a cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) based virtual exposure (VR) exposure program to train ASD adults coping with everyday sensory scenarios. Through the practice and training, the ASD participants may learn the strategy to deal with the common sensory scenarios and master the anxiety around the exposure. The anticipatory anxiety and the maladaptive behaviors may be decreased along with the process of desensitization, while the functional impairment related to sensory sensitivity can partly be recovered.

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Key information

Conditions

Autistic Disorders Spectrum Child Development Disorders, Pervasive Mental Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurodevelopmental Disorders Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Sensation Disorders Signs and Symptoms

Age range

20 year–45 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

National Taiwan University Hospital

Taipei, Taiwan

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

young adult aged between 18 and 45 years who had a diagnosis of ASD from a licensed mental health or medical professional based on DSM-5;
has sensory and social problems as reported by the participant and the caregiver;
is motivated to participate in the treatment;
is fluent in Chinese;
has a full-scale IQ > 70 on WAIS-IV;
scored ≧ 26 on the caregiver-reported Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), indicating clinical impairment associated with ASD.

Exclusion criteria

A history of major mental illness (e.g., bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia, or psychosis) or neurological diseases;
visual impairment and/or hearing impairment that would preclude participation in the CBT-based VR exposure program

Treatment and study plan

CBT-based VR exporsure program

Behavioral

This project seeks to establish a 8-week CBT-based VR exposure program to tackle sensory problems in ASD according to the theory of exposure and desensitization (both social and non-social scenarios) as well as identifying dysfunctional thought and searching for alternative thinking. In brief, this program aims to build up the core competence of the ASD individuals in facing the sensory environment, including (1) Relaxation skills (2) Ranking the fearful sensory situations (3) Anxiety coping strategy (3) Graded exposure (4) Cognitive appraisal and restructuring: identifying the dysfunctional thought when facing the social situations and figuring out alternative thinking.

Primary outcomes

The change of heart rate

Time frame: Two months, first time in the first week and second time in the last week.

The change of heart rate is related to the activation level of sympathetic nervous system, which can describe the change on anxiety level.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

National Taiwan University Hospital

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Targeting the Sensory Disturbance in Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Effectiveness of Cognitive-behavior Therapy-based Virtual Reality Exposure Program

Important dates

Study start: 2020
Primary completion: 2023
Study completion: 2023
First posted: Dec 15, 2021
Registry last updated: Mar 3, 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.

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

Completed