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Talk therapy tailored for autistic teens with lower cognitive abilities aims to tackle depression

NCT ID NCT07812870

Symptom relief Sponsor: Stony Brook University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 10, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Autistic teens are three to four times more likely to experience depression than their non-autistic peers, yet almost no depression treatment research has focused on autistic youth with below average cognitive abilities. This small study tests a 12-session behavioral activation therapy adapted for autistic teens aged 12 to 17 with an IQ between 60 and 84. Researchers will measure whether the therapy is practical to deliver, acceptable to families, and shows early signs of easing depression symptoms.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Behavioral Activation for Depression in Autistic Adolescents (BA-A), a 12-session talk therapy adapted for autistic teens
What this could lead to
If it works, this could give families a therapy option designed for autistic teens with lower cognitive abilities, a group that depression research has largely left out.
What could go wrong
This is a small early study with 18 teens, so it can only show whether the therapy is practical and acceptable, not whether it truly works. The approach may not fit every autistic teen or may not help depression much.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 18 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Aug 2026

Expected to finish

Sep 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

12 to 17 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria * 12-17 years old * Autism diagnosis * Symptoms of depression (more specifically, Children's Depression Inventory, Second Edition parent-report and/or self-report T-score ⩾ 65) * IQ 60-84 * Stable on medications for mood, anxiety, and/or behavior for 3 months * Participation of same parent(s) in all therapy sessions and assessment visits Exclusion Criteria * Participation in another psychotherapy during the study period * Imminent risk of harm to self and/or others * Bipolar disorder, a personality disorder, and/or schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

autism autism spectrum disorder Consciousness Disorders Depression depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Autism Depressed Depressed mood

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Stony Brook University

    RECRUITING

    Stony Brook, New York, 11794, United States

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