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Autism Spectrum DisorderMTGNCT04972825

AIR-B4: Mind the Gap

A study testing Mind the Gap in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, run by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) at 4 sites in United States.

Active, not recruiting

Under way, not looking for participants. Everyone needed has enrolled. The study is still running.

Official record
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Trial summary

The AIRB research team will compare the use and effectiveness of each intervention (Mind the Gap, Remaking Recess and Self Determination Learning Model of Instruction) with and without the addition of an implementation strategy, UNITED. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 2 years and older
What is being tested?
Mind the Gap
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
308 participants
Where
4 sitesUnited States
Study dates
29 Jul 2021to 5 Jan 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 2 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • families of children age 2 to 8 with ASD or NDD. no receipt of ASD specific services outside of school (family may still qualify if child is connected with a regional center/EI, but not yet receiving services), defined as (a) services obtained through insurance based on having an ASD diagnosis; or (b) receiving services through 0-3 that can only be accessed with an ASD dx (e.g., intensive in home EIBI); (3) family income is under 250% of the federal guidelines for poverty rate; (4) English, Korean or Spanish speaking.
  • agency staff (coordinators, directors, managers, supervisors) working on community organizations with peer navigator capacity e.g. parent support centers; FQHC; community clinics; faith-based agencies) serving children with ASD and other NDD (neurodevelopment disorders).
  • peer navigators which include people working at participating community organizations with peer navigator capacity (e.g. parent support centers; FQHC; community clinics; faith-based agencies) serving children with ASD and other NDD (neurodevelopment disorders)

Who cannot join

  • families with children under the age of 2 or over 8 years of age, does not have ASD or NDD; parents are not fluent in English, Spanish, or Korean; child already receiving services accessed with an ASD diagnosis; family income is over 250% federal guidelines for poverty rate
  • Agency Staff: people not working in an organization that has a peer navigator capacity; cannot commit to the requirements of the study.
  • Peer Navigators: people not working in an organization that has a peer navigator capacity; cannot commit to the times and requirements of the study

Trial locations and contacts

4 sites in 1 country.

United States4 sites
  • UC Davis MIND Institute

    Davis, California, 95817

  • University of Kansas

    Lawrence, Kansas, 66045

  • UPENN

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104

  • University of Rochester

    Rochester, New York, 14642

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Autism Intervention Network for Behavioral Health- Mind the Gap

The AIRB research team will compare the use and effectiveness of each intervention (Mind the Gap, Remaking Recess and Self Determination Learning Model of Instruction) with and without the addition of an implementation strategy, UNITED. In all groups, the research team will train community practitioners using remote delivery of professional development modules specific to the intervention, and active coaching for up to 12 sessions as dictated by the intervention procedures during a time span of 6 months.

The research team will pair UNITED with three interventions that cover the ages of early childhood, childhood, and adolescence. These include Mind the Gap (MTG), a family navigation intervention for children newly diagnosed under age 8, Remaking Recess (RR), a school-based social/peer engagement intervention for children ages 5-12, and Self-Determination Learning Model of Instruction (SDMLI), a self-advocacy intervention for adolescents (13-22 years; 22 is the upper age limit of high school for individuals with disabilities).

Read more

For MTG, peer navigators (staff working in an organization that already works with parents) and parents (with children with ASD) will meet via phone or video conference for up to 12 sessions within a 6 month span (an hour each time). They will go over sessions that were created by the research group that help parents understand the system of acquiring services. The total time commitment for peer navigators is about 18 hours and for parents with children with ASD is about 8.5 hours.

Identified families connected to the community organization will be matched with one peer navigator who will then guide and support the caregiver through completion of the MTG modules with active coaching of the family. Family needs and preferences will guide topic selection. Active coaching will occur via zoom, or over the phone, based on family preference and some recorded sessions will be shared with the research group for analyses. Mind the Gap will be available in English, Spanish, and Korean.

Read the detailed description

Mind the Gap will include 20 agency staff, 48 Peer Navigators working at participating community organizations with peer navigator capacity (e.g. parent support centers; FQHC; community clinics; faith-based agencies) serving children with ASD and other NDD; and 240 families of children age 2-8 (with potential expansion based on community feedback) with ASD or NDD.

Training will be provided by experts in each intervention at each CRE. MTG targets peer navigators (parents of children with disabilities) who will complete the 12- hour remote training on MTG modules and associated topics (e.g., boundaries, family and child safety, data collection). The research team will conduct the initial 12 hours of training and active coaching/check ins during the 12 sessions the peer navigator has with the family in a 6-month span. Agency staff (supervisors or managers of agencies) will be also be given the training to help facilitate the training of the peer navigators at their respective sites and participate in UNITED if randomized to receive it. Identified families connected to the community organization will be matched with one peer navigator who will then guide and support the caregiver through completion of the MTG modules with active coaching of the family. Family needs and preferences will guide topic selection. Active coaching will occur via zoom, or over the phone, based on family preference.Consents can be signed online via Qualtrics, DocuSign (UC Davis) or RedCap for the parents, peer navigators, and agency staff. The parents participating in Mind the Gap will fill out a Demographic, Family Empowerment Scale, Permission to Contact, and WHO QOL Scale at entry. They will also fill out the following surveys at exit (6 months): Family Empowerment Scale and Caregiver Satisfaction Survey. Mind the Gap will be available in English, Spanish, and Korean. Peer navigators will fill out the following surveys at entry after signing consent: demographic, implementation climate scale, and social network surveys. They will also fill out surveys at 12 months and 18 months, which consist of social network surveys, implementation climate scale and an exit survey (only at 12 months).

All participants in Mind the Gap will be randomized to receive UNITED, exploratory implementation strategy, or implementation as usual (IAU). UNITED is premised on the idea that successful implementation in organizations like schools and early intervention systems requires a team-based approach, in which the team is thoughtfully assembled, develops a plan for implementation, assigns roles and responsibilities, and carefully tracks and supports implementation and sustainment in all its stages. To address these requirements, we combine two well- tested strategies. The first is social network analysis (SNA) through which we will systematically identify members of the team who will implement each intervention. The second is TeamSTEPPS (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety), an evidence-based set of teamwork tools that optimizes target population outcomes by improving communication and teamwork skills. The research staff will approach the site leaders (2 at maximum) at agencies and explain MTG. After the site leaders agree to participate in the study, they will complete an agency agreement to participate and then fill out the Social Network Assessment (SNA) to provide names, roles, and emails of staff at the agency that have significant roles in the agency that relate to the Mind the Gap intervention. The research staff will then email these agency staff the SNA as well. After receiving the completed SNA assessments, we will randomize each organization to UNITED vs Implementation as Usual (IAU). We will use the data from these assessments to assess both arms of the study. Additionally, for those randomized to UNITED, Dr. Elizabeth McGhee Hassrick at Drexel University and her team, will provide the research sites the top 2-5 agency staff identified by the SNA as key for intervention implementation support. This team will be invited to participate in the UNITED implementation team. If they agree, they will complete an Agency Rep Consent before beginning any UNITED training. For both UNITED and IAU sites, peer navigators will be recruited from the agency based on leader recommendations. They will complete the Peer Navigator Consent prior to beginning Mind the Gap training.

Being tested
Mind the Gap
Keywords
new diagnosis, autism services, Mind the Gap, navigating program
Medical subject headings
Autism Spectrum Disorder, Neurodevelopmental Disorders

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Mind the GapBehavioural

    This intervention will help parents with children newly diagnosed with autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders learn how to navigate the system of acquiring services for their child. These parents will be assisted by a coach, an employee at the child's agency, that will help them through this process.

Study groups in NCT04972825
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
UNITEDExperimentalUNITED is premised on the idea that successful implementation in organizations like schools and early intervention systems requires a team-based approach, in which the team is thoughtfully assembled, develops a plan for implementation, assigns roles and responsibilities, and carefully tracks and supports implementation and sustainment in all its stages within a few meetings and ongoing coaching from the research staff.
Receives: Behavioral: Mind the Gap
Implementation as Usual (IAU)Active comparatorThe organizations will implement Mind the Gap as usual. The research team will be available to provide support on the Mind the Gap intervention as needed.
Receives: Behavioral: Mind the Gap

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Stages of Implementation Completion (SIC)

    Tool developed by the Oregon Social Learning Center, is an 8 stage tool of implementation process and milestones, with stages spanning three implementation phases (pre-implementation, implementation, and sustainability. The research staff will enter dates once milestones are completed.

    Measured: through study completion, an average of 18 months

Secondary outcomes (6)
  1. School Implementation Climate Scale (SICS)

    This scale was adapted to be used by the research team to gather information from the schools/agencies in the study about the use of evidence-based practices in their organizations. It is rated from 0 to 4, with 0 being "not at all" and 4 being "very great extent." The higher the rating, the better the outcome.

    Measured: baseline (entry), 12 months, and 18 months

  2. Change in Coaching Session Data Form from month to month

    This form was created within the research group. It is used monthly after entry to document the services the participants would like to get and the ones they are currently receiving.

    Measured: monthly from baseline and up to 6 months after baseline

  3. Family Empowerment Scale (Koren, DeChillo & Friesen, 1992)

    It is a 34-item rating scale that measures empowerment in families with children who have emotional, behavioral, or developmental disorders. The FES has three subscales, Family, Service System and, Social Politics. Parents rated each item on a 5-point Likert-type rating scale. It is rated from 1 to 5, with "1" being never and "5" being very often. The higher the rating, the better the outcome.

    Measured: baseline and 6 months

  4. WHOQOL scale

    Adapted from WHOQOL -BREF Questionnaire, to gather information about the quality of life and health from the families in the study. It is rated from 0 to 5, with "0" being not at all and "5" being completely. The higher the rating, the better the outcome.

    Measured: baseline

  5. Social Network Survey

    Survey created by the research team to gather information about the key people in each organization that can better support the Mind the Gap intervention.

    Measured: baseline, 12 months, and 18 months

  6. Caregiver Satisfaction Survey

    This survey was created by the research team. At 6 months post entry, caregivers will rate their satisfaction with the intervention on a survey that utilizes a 5-point Likert-type rating scale.

    Measured: 6 months after baseline

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted22 Jul 2021
  2. Study start29 Jul 2021
  3. Primary completion23 Dec 2025 (estimated)
  4. Study completion5 Jan 2026 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
308 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04972825
Sponsor's protocol ID
20-001403
Acronym
MTG
Status last verified
Aug 2025
First submitted
1 Jul 2021
Last updated
29 Aug 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Publications

  • Locke J, Hassrick EM, Stahmer AC, Iadarola S, Boyd B, Mandell DS, Shih W, Hund L, Kasari C; AIR-B Network. Using Novel Implementation Tools for Evidence-based Intervention Delivery (UNITED) across public service systems for three evidence-based autism interventions in under-resourced communities: study protocol. BMC Psychiatry. 2022 Jul 16;22(1):478. doi: 10.1186/s12888-022-04105-9.

    PubMed 35842614

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Mind the Gap in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, run by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) at 4 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Aug 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 4 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Stages of Implementation Completion (SIC) (time frame: through study completion, an average of 18 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04972825, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 29 Aug 2025.

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