An Intervention to Promote Self-determination in Young Adults With Autism: the TEAm_YOUNG ADULTS Program (TEAm_YA)

University Ramon Llull

Status: Completed

Conditions: Autism

Treatments: Behavioral: TEAm_YOUNG ADULTS program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05938751

FPCEE_TeamYoungAdults2020/2023

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this clinical trial is to test the benefits of a program to develop self-determination in young adults with autism. Being self-determined means acting or causing things to happen in your life. It involves deciding, acting and believing in one-self.

The main question this clinical trial aims to answer is: Is the program developed useful to improve self-determination of young adults with autism?

Participants will receive a group intervention to support the development of their self-determination-related skills during 20 sessions (1 session/week).

Researchers will compare the self-determination outcomes between the group that receives the intervention and another group that is in a waiting list (and will receive the intervention later) to see if the changes are due to the intervention.

Full description

This clinical trial employed a convergent mixed methods design. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from the same participants and analyzed separately within a similar timeframe. The quantitative strand used self-reported and proxy-reported questionnaires to evaluate the impact of the TEAm_YOUNG ADULTS program on the self-determination of young adults with autism. The quantitative data was collected at baseline and at the completion of the program, after 5 months (20 sessions). In the qualitative strand, focus groups were used to explore changes in self-determination perceived by the participants that received the program and their acceptance of the intervention. The focus groups were conducted when finishing the group and after the self-reported questionnaires are answered. Proxy-reports were answered after the realization of the focus groups.

Enrollment: 40 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 17 to 30 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• To have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in accordance with the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), or of Asperger's syndrome, according to he DSM-IV
• To be between 17 and 30 years old.
• To have a verbal comprehension index higher than 70 in the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV (WAIS-IV), to ensure a good comprehension of the program

Exclusion criteria

• Not having spoken language
• Having a condition that could significantly interfere in the group functioning, such as an acute psychotic disorder or challenging behavior

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

40 participants in 2 patient groups

Intervention group

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this group received the TEAm_YOUNG ADULTS program, an intervention to promote and develop self-determination-related skills.

Treatment:

Behavioral: TEAm_YOUNG ADULTS program

Waiting list group

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants in this group were on the waiting list. That means they had to wait until the intervention group received the intervention and post-test evaluation to receive the intervention. They could keep their intervention as usual during the whole study.