Study Comparing Telehealth Daily Living Skills and Social Skills Programs for Autistic Adolescents in Their Last Years of High School

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a telehealth intervention called Surviving and Thriving in the Real World - Telehealth STRW-T for autistic adolescents in their last two years of high school. This study compares STRW-T, which targets daily living skills, to a control telehealth intervention called Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills - Telehealth PEERS-T that focuses on social skills. The goal is to assess changes in daily living skills and related outcomes to support successful transition to adulthood for adolescents with high functioning autism spectrum disorder ASD. The study involves 192 autistic adolescents aged 15 to 21 who are randomized to either the STRW-T group or the PEERS-T control group, with 96 participants in each arm. STRW-T consists of 15 weekly sessions delivered via Zoom, including caregiver group sessions and caregiver-teen dyad sessions focusing on daily living skills like morning routine, laundry, cooking, shopping, and money management. PEERS-T also runs for 15 weeks with concurrent caregiver and teen telehealth sessions targeting social skills development. Both interventions are designed to be meaningful and matched in duration. Participants will be assessed at baseline, after treatment, at 6-month follow-up, and 6 months post-high school graduation. Evaluations include standardized measures of daily living skills such as the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales and Adaptive Behavior Assessment System. The study also tracks college, employment, and quality of life outcomes after graduation. Caregiver input and daily diaries help monitor progress, with safety and mental health monitored throughout the study. Participation spans approximately 1.5 years to capture both immediate and longer-term effects of the interventions.

STRW-T Intervention for Autistic Adolescents in 11th and 12th Grade