Can training therapists in a new program boost executive functioning in kids with autism?
NCT ID NCT06651086
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at whether training mental health therapists in a program called Unstuck and On Target helps children with autism improve their executive functioning (skills like planning and flexibility) and reduce behavior problems. About 672 children, their caregivers, and therapists from publicly-funded clinics will take part. The goal is to see if the program works better than another therapy and how easily it can be used in real-world settings.
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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 672 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2024
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2029
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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6 to 99 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: Mental Health Programs: * Publicly-funded * Providing outpatient or school-based psychotherapy services to children * Have at least 8 mental health providers on staff Therapists: * Employed as staff or trainee at a participating program * Employed at the program for at least the next 12 months * Providing psychotherapy services to children * Has an eligible child on current caseload (see below) Autistic Child/Caregiver Participants (enrolled in a dyad with a participating therapist): * Child age 6-12 years * Receiving services from an enrolled therapist * Documented or suspected\* autism diagnosis * In the event of suspected autism diagnosis, the presence of elevated autism symptoms on the Social Responsiveness Scale-2nd Edition or the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale-2nd Edition Non-Autistic Child/Caregiver Participants (enrolled in a dyad with a participating therapist): * Child age 6-12 years * Receiving services from an enrolled provider * No history of documented or suspected autism diagnosis
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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. 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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San Diego State University
RECRUITINGSan Diego, California, 92182, United States
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University of Colorado - Anschutz
RECRUITINGAurora, Colorado, 80045, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can an AI chatbot help autism caregivers find their way?
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- Can virtual reality boost thinking skills in kids with autism?