Social Cognition and Interaction Training for Autism (SCIT-A)

University of North Carolina (UNC)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Social Behavior; Autism

Treatments: Behavioral: Social Cognition and Interaction Training for Autism (SCIT-A); Other: Treatment as Usual (TAU)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02382172

14-2804

Details and patient eligibility

About

Purpose: To collect outcome measures such as eye tracking and questionnaire data prior to and following a group based clinical therapy program to determine the effectiveness of the therapy approach. The therapy program is aimed at improving social cognitions and skills of individuals who find social situations difficult, stressful and/or uncomfortable and with a desire to enhance skills required for social interactions.

Participants: Cohorts of individuals aged 10-69 years old with symptoms of a neurodevelopment disorder, who have general difficulty with social interactions.

Procedures: Participants enrolled in a clinical therapy program for improvement of social cognitions and skills will complete eye tracking tasks, several questionnaires and rating scales, and a diagnostic interview prior to and following the 8 week therapy program. The post treatment assessments will be conducted within a week of the therapy completion and then again approximately 2 months after the last therapy session. The entire study duration is expected to be approximately 17 weeks. These outcome measures will measure the effectiveness of the treatment.

Enrollment: 44 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 10 to 69 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Between the ages of 13-69.
2. Symptoms of a neurodevelopmental disorder.
3. English as primary language and ability to speak in fluent, full length sentences: Treatment will be conducted in a group setting in English.

Exclusion criteria

1. Inability to speak English fluently.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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44 participants in 2 patient groups

Social Cognition and Interaction Training for Autism (SCIT-A)

Experimental group

Description:

The measures the investigators are giving assess participants' initial level of social deficits and the extent to which the therapy did or did not help their social skills. The research team will compare the level of difficulty that participants first reported with their subjective evaluation of their experience in the group sessions to determine whether the program is clinically useful for further development. The investigators will also have the participants complete eye tracking paradigms to assess possible changes in social functioning after completing the Social Cognition and Interaction Training for Autism (SCIT-A) program.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Social Cognition and Interaction Training for Autism (SCIT-A)

Treatment As Usual (TAU)

Other group

Description:

Continuation of services being given upon study entry.

Treatment:

Other: Treatment as Usual (TAU)