Can an AI chatbot help autism caregivers find their way?
NCT ID NCT07821619
First seen Sep 16, 2026 · Last updated Sep 17, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers are testing an AI-enabled support tool for parents and caregivers of children with autism in Indiana and western Kenya. The tool offers plain-language autism information, answers caregiver questions, supports coping, and helps families find local services, with safety guardrails for high-risk concerns. About 60 caregivers will use the tool and complete surveys to see whether it is practical, acceptable, safe, and engaging. The study aims to prepare for a larger trial that would measure whether the tool improves caregiver knowledge, confidence, and service access.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- an AI-enabled autism caregiver support tool
- What this could lead to
- If the tool proves feasible and safe, it could shape a larger trial testing whether AI support improves caregiver knowledge, confidence, and access to services.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot with 60 caregivers, so it cannot show whether the tool improves outcomes. AI tools can give wrong or unsafe advice, and the study mainly checks whether the approach is practical and acceptable.
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
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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
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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jan 2028
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: * Adult caregiver aged 18 years or older. * Parent or primary caregiver of a child with autism spectrum disorder. * Resides within the study catchment area in Indiana, United States or western Kenya. * Able to provide informed consent. * Has access to a mobile phone, tablet, or computer capable of accessing the AI-enabled caregiver support tool. * Able to communicate in a study-supported language. * Willing to use the AI-enabled caregiver support tool and complete study assessments. Exclusion Criteria: * Younger than 18 years of age. * Unable or unwilling to provide informed consent. * Unable to access the AI-enabled caregiver support tool using an internet-connected device. * Unable to complete study procedures or assessments due to cognitive, communication, or other limitations that preclude participation. * Currently participating in another study that, in the opinion of the investigators, would interfere with study participation or interpretation of study findings.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites in 2 countries. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Indiana University
Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States
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Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital
Eldoret, Kenya
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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