The ASSET Program for Youth With ASD
NCT Number: NCT06535191
Acronym: ASSET
Status: COMPLETED
Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Phases: NA
Conditions: Social Skills|Transition|Autism Spectrum Disorder|Confidence, Self
Interventions: BEHAVIORAL: Assistive Soft Skills and Employment Training (ASSET)
Sponsor: Michigan State University
Collaborators: Illinois Institute of Technology
Sex: ALL
Age: CHILD, ADULT
Enrollment: 85
Study Design: Allocation: RANDOMIZED|Intervention Model: FACTORIAL|Masking: NONE|Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
Start Date: 2018-12-18
Completion Date: 2023-05-22
Locations: Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, United States

Summary:
The purpose of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of a work-related social skills training intervention for transition-age youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD; ages 14-22) that is designed to improve social skills, social self-efficacy, adaptive functioning, anxiety and work readiness. The Assistive Social Skills \& Employment Training (ASSET) program is a weekly after-school program that runs for 10 weeks. In the first part of the study, youth with ASD, caregivers, special education teachers and employment specialists are invited to review and provide recommendations to improve the manual that has been developed for the ASSET program. The second part of the study is to evaluate the impact of the ASSET program on helping students with ASD improve their social skills, social self-efficacy, adaptive functioning, anxiety and work readiness using a randomized control trial. Improvements in these domains will be assessed immediately following the 10-week program and 3 months later. The intervention will occur at multiple sites in Michigan and Illinois, with a total of 96 students with autism. The ASSET program addresses the employment disparities faced by young adults with ASD by specifically targeting work-related social skills through the development of social skills and self-efficacy to foster successful school-to-work transition outcomes. The manualized ASSET program curriculum will eventually be made public and available for schools and service providers to use.

Primary Outcome Measures: Social Functioning, Social composite score of the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System: Third Edition (ABAS-3) was used to assess participants' changes in social functioning.

Raw Scores: Each item within the Social Skills subdomains is rated on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 (Never) to 3 (Always). The ratings are summed to produce raw scores for each subdomain.

Scaled Scores: Raw scores are converted to scaled scores for Social Skills subdomain. Scaled scores typically range from 1 to 19, with a mean of 10 and a standard deviation of 3.

Composite Score: The scaled scores from the Social Skills subdomains are combined to form the Social Composite Score, with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, with a higher score indicating higher social functioning., Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, 3-month post-intervention|Social Responsiveness, Total score of the Social Responsiveness Scale: Second Edition (SRS-2) was used for measuring social responsiveness.

Raw Scores: Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 (Never True) to 3 (Almost Always True). Raw scores are summed for each subscale and for the total scale. Subscales include: (1) Social Awareness; (2) Social Cognition; (3) Social Communication; (4) Social Motivation; and (5) Restricted Interests and Repetitive Behaviours.

T-Scores: Raw scores are converted to T-scores to facilitate interpretation. T-scores have a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10, with a higher score indicating greater severity of social impairment., Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, 3-month post-intervention|Work Behaviors, Subscale scores of the Job Observation and Behavior Scale (JOBS) was used to assess participants' changes in work readiness and behaviors.

Raw Scores: Each item is rated on a Likert scale. Individual item scores are summed to create raw scores for various subscales, which include (1) Work Quality, (2) Work Quantity, (3) Work Attitudes, (4) Social Skills, (5) Personal Presentation, and (6) Adaptability.

Composite Scores: Raw scores from the subscales are combined to form composite scores (i.e., Quality of performance and Type of support), with a higher composite score indicating better performance, more positive work behaviors, less support/assistance needed., Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, 3-month post-intervention|Social Self-efficacy, Score of Perceived Social Self-Efficacy (PSSE) was used to assess participants' changes in perceived social self-efficacy. It is scored using a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (Not well at all) to 5 (Very well).

The overall range of possible scores is 6 to 30, with a higher score indicating a higher level of social self-efficacy., Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, 3-month post-intervention|Empathic Self-efficacy, Score of Perceived Empathic Self-Efficacy (PESE) was used to assess participants' changes in perceived empathic self-efficacy. It is scored using a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (Not well at all) to 5 (Very well).

The overall range of possible scores is 5 to 25, with a higher score indicating a higher level of empathic self-efficacy., Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, 3-month post-intervention|Job Self-efficacy, Score of Job Self-Efficacy (JSE) was used to assess participants' changes job self-efficacy.

Each item is rated on a scale, ranging from 1 (Very much disagree) to 6 (Very much agree). Individual item scores are summed to create a total raw score. Raw scores from the items or subscales are summed to form composite scores, with higher scores indicating greater self-efficacy in job-related tasks., Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, 3-month post-intervention
Secondary Outcome Measures: Adaptive Functioning, General Adaptive Composite (GAC) score of the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System: Third Edition (ABAS-3) was used to assess participants' changes in adaptive functioning skills.

Raw Scores: Each item within the domains is rated on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 (Never) to 3 (Always). The ratings are summed to produce raw scores for each domain, which include (1) Conceptual: communication, functional academics, and self-direction; (2) Social: Includes social skills and leisure; (3) Practical: Includes self-care, home living, community use, health and safety, and work.

Scaled Scores: Raw scores are converted to scaled scores for each domain. Scaled scores typically range from 1 to 19, with a mean of 10 and a standard deviation of 3.

Composite Score: The scaled scores from the domains are combined to form the GAC, with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, with a higher score indicating high social functioning., Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, 3-month post-intervention|Psychosocial Functioning, Score of the Behavior Assessment System for Children: Third Edition (BASC-3) was used to assess participants' changes in adaptive functioning skills.

Raw Scores: Each item within the domains is rated on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 (Never) to 3 (Always). The ratings are summed to produce raw scores for each subscale, which include (1) Anxiety; (2) Depression; (3) Withdrawal; (4) Adaptability; (5) Leadership; (6) Executive Functioning; (7) Resiliency.

T-scores: Raw scores are converted to T-scores to facilitate interpretation. T-scores have a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10, with a higher score indicating greater severity of psychosocial impairment., Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, 3-month post-intervention|Work Readiness, Scaled score of the Stages of Change-Work Participation Scale (SCWPS) was used to assess participants' changes in work readiness.

Raw Scores: Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree), and the scores are summed for items corresponding to each stage of change.

Stage Classification: The sum of scores within each stage helps classify the individual's current stage of readiness for change in work participation., Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, 3-month post-intervention|Anxiety, Total score of the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) was used to assess participants' changes in anxiety symptoms.

Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 (Not at all) to 3 (Nearly everyday). Sum the scores for all 7 items to obtain the total score. Total score ranges from 0 to 21, with a higher score indicating higher anxiety., Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, 3-month post-intervention|Depression, Total score of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to assess participants' changes in depressive symptoms.

Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 (Not at all) to 3 (Nearly everyday). Sum the scores for all 9 items to obtain the total score. Total score ranges from 0 to 27, with a higher score indicating higher depression., Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, 3-month post-intervention|Life Satisfaction, Total score of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) was used to participants' changes in life satisfaction.

Items are rated on a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 5 (Strongly agree). Sum the scores for all 5 items to obtain the total score. Total score ranges from 5 to 35, with higher score indicating higher depression., Pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, 3-month post-intervention