Italian teens with autism get a shot at better friendships
NCT ID NCT07207213
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether the PEERS® program, a social skills training from the US, can help Italian teens aged 10-14 with autism make and keep friends. Thirty-six teens will either take the program or continue their usual care. Researchers will measure changes in social knowledge, behavior, and anxiety to see if the program works in Italy.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- PEERS® social skills training program
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide an effective, culturally adapted social skills program for Italian teens with autism, helping them build friendships and navigate social situations.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage adaptation study with only 36 participants. Results may not generalize to all teens with autism, and the program may not work as well in Italy as in the US.
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 36 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jan 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2027
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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10 to 14 years
- 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: * (a) age between 10 and 14 years; * clinical diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder according to ICD-10 (WHO, 1992); * absence of intellectual disability (IQ over 85); * absence of a concomitant major psychiatric disorder (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychiatric illness); * absence of oppositional/aggressive behavior (outside the family context); * difficulty developing and/or maintaining peer relationships; * self-motivation to participate in the treatment of both the adolescent and the family; * availability of a caregiver to regularly attend sessions with parents and to support the participant during the program; * consent of the parents and the adolescent to participate in all evaluations and to be recorded during treatment sessions Exclusion Criteria: * Full IQ below 85; * concomitant major psychiatric disorders
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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
1 site. 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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IRCCS Stella Maris
Calambrone, Pisa, 56018, Italy
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