School program aims to boost friendships for kids with autism
NCT ID NCT00095420
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether teaching social skills to autistic children and educating their classmates can improve social relationships at school. Sixty children in kindergarten through 5th grade took part in 30-minute sessions twice a week for six weeks. The goal was to see if these interventions help autistic children become more involved with their peers.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- behavioral intervention (social skills training and peer education)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this approach could provide schools with a simple, non-drug method to help autistic children build friendships and feel more included.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study with only 60 participants. Results may not apply to all autistic children, and the benefits might not last long-term without ongoing support.
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
-
60 people
The number who actually took part.
- Start date
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Sep 2003
- Finished
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Jun 2008
- 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
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6 to 11 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 for Autistic and Nonautistic Participants: * Autistic OR nonautistic peer of autistic child * Full inclusion in a classroom with nonautistic children * Currently in kindergarten or grades 1 through 5 * Intelligence quotient higher than 70 * Expectation to stay in the same school and classroom for the duration of the study * Able to provide parent consent and child assent Exclusion Criteria: * Mental age-equivalent less than 4 years * Conditions other than autism, or sensory or motor impairments
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States
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