New study tests virtual coaching for parents to ease autistic children's need for sameness
NCT ID NCT06472115
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This pilot study tests a 16-week telehealth program that coaches parents to help their autistic children who struggle with insistence on sameness—like needing things to stay the same or getting upset over changes. Researchers will see if parents can learn the techniques and if children show less rigid behavior and anxiety. The study involves 30 children ages 6 to 10 with autism and an IQ of 75 or higher.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) program adapted for insistence on sameness
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could give families a practical, at-home tool to reduce rigid behaviors and anxiety in autistic children.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 30 children, so results may not apply to everyone. It also relies on parents to deliver the therapy, which may not work for all families.
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 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Jan 2025
- Expected to finish
-
Oct 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
-
6 to 11 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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: * 6:0 to 10:11 years at the time of consent * diagnosed with ASD (based on history, review of available medical records including diagnostic testing completed by psychologist) * IQ \> or = 75 (based on history, review of available medical records) * report three or more family accommodations for insistence on sameness based on screening measures * English-speaking parent and youth able to consistently participate in study procedures Exclusion Criteria: * children with significant hearing, language or motor impairment * unstable behavioral and pharmacological treatments (e.g., anxiety medication) to treat anxiety or IS behaviors prior to two months to the start of the study and no anticipated changes in treatments during the course of the trial * caregivers who have participated in formal SPACE training * concurrent psychosocial treatment for anxiety or Insistence on Sameness * children who have a history of prominent school refusal, self-harm, or suicidal ideation
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Autism are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The study's own enquiry address
This study publishes an address for enquiries. See it below .
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
Show contact details
Enter your email to view the contact information for this study.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Study contacts
-
Contact
Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
-
Stanford University
RECRUITINGStanford, California, 94305, United States
Contact Email: •••••@•••••
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can wireless monitors make ER vitals easier for autistic children?
- Why do some children with autism struggle with balance?
- Brain zaps tested to calm emotional storms in autism
- Can an AI chatbot help autism caregivers find their way?
- Pregnancy and birth clues: what raises autism risk?
- Can virtual reality boost thinking skills in kids with autism?