Autism Spectrum DisorderECOACHNCT05726708
Impact of an E-Learning Coaching for Parents of Young Children With Autism
A study testing E-Learning in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, run by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois at 1 site in Switzerland.
Trial summary
The goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of a parental coaching based on E-Learning (EL), intended for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Population: parents of young children (2 to 4 years old) with an ASD diagnosis. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 24 to 48 months
- Conditions the study is for
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- What is being tested?
- E-Learning
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 99 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSwitzerland
- Study dates
- 24 Oct 2023to 31 Dec 2027
- 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 24 to 48 months
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Children with ASD
- Age 2 years to 4 years and 6 months
- Family speaking french
- Parent who signed the consent form
Who cannot join
- children with known genetic syndrome
- children with visual or auditive deficit
- children with epilepsy
- no internet access
- no french speaking
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Switzerland1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Service des troubles du spectre de l'autisme et apparentés
Lausanne, 1011
Nadia Chabane, Pr
Chloe Peter
About this study
Official title: Impact of an E-Learning Parental Coaching for Parents of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
The goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of a parental coaching based on E-Learning (EL), intended for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Population: parents of young children (2 to 4 years old) with an ASD diagnosis.
The main questions that our study will answer are:
Read more
- Has parental coaching via E-Learning a significant impact compared to no coaching?
- If so, is that impact comparable to standard parental coaching such as PACT?
The impact will be evaluated in three domains:
- Child development: behavior, sleep, eating behavior
- Parental competences: stress, coping, feeling of parental competencies
- Parent-child interaction: communication, visual attention
The investigators will compare 3 groups:
- ASD children whose parents will follow a parental coaching via E-learning,
- ASD children whose parents will follow a standard parental coaching (PACT)
- ASD children whose parents will not follow any specific coaching program
- Conditions
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Being tested
- E-Learning
- Keywords
- autism, parental coaching
- Medical subject headings
- Autism Spectrum Disorder, Autistic Disorder
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
E-LearningBehavioural
On line modules of coaching for parents
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| E-Learning | Experimental | E-Learning coaching. 11 modules on line. 5 debriefing on visio conference with a professional (1/month) Receives: Behavioral: E-Learning |
| Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy (PACT) | Active comparator | Parents will have 12 coaching sessions with a therapist, following the PACT model. Between each session, the parent will be asked to practice the strategies at home and to film themselves doing an activity with their child (10-minute film). Receives: Behavioral: E-Learning |
| Control | No intervention | No parental coaching |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Dyadic Communication Measure for Autism (DCMA) before parental coaching
DCMA is a measure of the natural flowing dyadic communication interaction between parent and child in a free play context. It was originally designed to capture aspects of communication in young children with autism and aspects of the parent communication style that are often targeted in communication-focussed interventions. It Is grounded in the theory and research on pragmatic language development in children, specifically in children with autism. DCMA involves video-recording the parent and child playing together in a natural way using a standard set of toys. The interaction is then coded from video-tape and three levels of the interaction are observed:
- Parent synchrony and responsiveness
- Child communicative initiations, responses and communicative functions
- Amount of mutual shared attention between parent and child
Measured: Month 0
Dyadic Communication Measure for Autism (DCMA) immediately after the end of parental coaching
DCMA is a measure of the natural flowing dyadic communication interaction between parent and child in a free play context. It was originally designed to capture aspects of communication in young children with autism and aspects of the parent communication style that are often targeted in communication-focussed interventions. It Is grounded in the theory and research on pragmatic language development in children, specifically in children with autism. DCMA involves video-recording the parent and child playing together in a natural way using a standard set of toys. The interaction is then coded from video-tape and three levels of the interaction are observed:
- Parent synchrony and responsiveness
- Child communicative initiations, responses and communicative functions
- Amount of mutual shared attention between parent and child
Measured: Month 6
Dyadic Communication Measure for Autism (DCMA) 6 months after the end of parental coaching
DCMA is a measure of the natural flowing dyadic communication interaction between parent and child in a free play context. It was originally designed to capture aspects of communication in young children with autism and aspects of the parent communication style that are often targeted in communication-focussed interventions. It Is grounded in the theory and research on pragmatic language development in children, specifically in children with autism. DCMA involves video-recording the parent and child playing together in a natural way using a standard set of toys. The interaction is then coded from video-tape and three levels of the interaction are observed:
- Parent synchrony and responsiveness
- Child communicative initiations, responses and communicative functions
- Amount of mutual shared attention between parent and child
Measured: Month 12
Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC) before parental coaching
BOSCC is a treatment response measure of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms. The BOSCC is a behavioral coding scheme that is applied to 10-12 min videotaped social/play interactions between a child and a researcher or caregiver (play partner). The coding scheme was developed by expanding items from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), to quantify more nuanced variation in ASD symptoms.
Measured: Month 0
Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC) immediately after the end of parental coaching
BOSCC is a treatment response measure of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms. The BOSCC is a behavioral coding scheme that is applied to 10-12 min videotaped social/play interactions between a child and a researcher or caregiver (play partner). The coding scheme was developed by expanding items from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), to quantify more nuanced variation in ASD symptoms.
Measured: Month 6
Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC) 6 months after the end of parental coaching
BOSCC is a treatment response measure of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms. The BOSCC is a behavioral coding scheme that is applied to 10-12 min videotaped social/play interactions between a child and a researcher or caregiver (play partner). The coding scheme was developed by expanding items from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), to quantify more nuanced variation in ASD symptoms.
Measured: Month 12
Percentage of synchronized communication acts with the parents and professionals before parental coaching
Head-mounted Eye tracking system to record eye movements during Dyadic Communication Measure for Autism (DCMA) and Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC). Head-mounted eye trackers not only capture the child's view of their environment, but also track where they are looking in first person, at all times, allowing us to study gaze in more naturalistic situations. In particular, wearable eye trackers improve the construct validity of developmentally important concepts, such as visual object experiences and social attention, in ways that would be impossible with screen-based eye trackers. The investigators will measure the percentage of synchronous communication acts with the parents and professionals.
Measured: Month 0
Percentage of synchronized communication acts with the parents and professionals immediately after the end of parental coaching
Head-mounted Eye tracking system to record eye movements during Dyadic Communication Measure for Autism (DCMA) and Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC). Head-mounted eye trackers not only capture the child's view of their environment, but also track where they are looking in first person, at all times, allowing us to study gaze in more naturalistic situations. In particular, wearable eye trackers improve the construct validity of developmentally important concepts, such as visual object experiences and social attention, in ways that would be impossible with screen-based eye trackers. The investigators will measure the percentage of synchronous communication acts with the parents and professionals.
Measured: Month 6
Percentage of synchronized communication acts with the parents and professionals 6 months after the end of parental coaching
Head-mounted Eye tracking system to record eye movements during Dyadic Communication Measure for Autism (DCMA) and Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC). Head-mounted eye trackers not only capture the child's view of their environment, but also track where they are looking in first person, at all times, allowing us to study gaze in more naturalistic situations. In particular, wearable eye trackers improve the construct validity of developmentally important concepts, such as visual object experiences and social attention, in ways that would be impossible with screen-based eye trackers. The investigators will measure the percentage of synchronous communication acts with the parents and professionals.
Measured: Month 12
Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) before parental coaching
The Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) is a standardized assessment commonly used in clinical psychology as a developmental measure of cognitive development in children 2 to 5½ years of age. The MSEL is organized into 5 subscales: (a) gross motor, (b) fine motor, (c) visual reception (or non-verbal problem solving), (d) receptive language, and (e) expressive language. An early learning composite score can be derived from fine motor, visual reception, receptive language, and expressive language scales. For young children this early learning composite score is considered equivalent to a more traditional intelligence quotient score or a developmental standard score. Each subscale is standardized to calculate a standard score, percentile and age-equivalent score. The maximum achievable raw score per scale is 50 for the visual reception scale, 49 for the fine motor scale, 48 for the receptive language scale and 50 for the expressive language scale. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Measured: Month 0
Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) immediately after the end of parental coaching
The Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) is a standardized assessment commonly used in clinical psychology as a developmental measure of cognitive development in children 2 to 5½ years of age. The MSEL is organized into 5 subscales: (a) gross motor, (b) fine motor, (c) visual reception (or non-verbal problem solving), (d) receptive language, and (e) expressive language. An early learning composite score can be derived from fine motor, visual reception, receptive language, and expressive language scales. For young children this early learning composite score is considered equivalent to a more traditional intelligence quotient score or a developmental standard score. Each subscale is standardized to calculate a standard score, percentile and age-equivalent score. The maximum achievable raw score per scale is 50 for the visual reception scale, 49 for the fine motor scale, 48 for the receptive language scale and 50 for the expressive language scale. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Measured: Month 6
Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) 6 months after the end of parental coaching
The Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) is a standardized assessment commonly used in clinical psychology as a developmental measure of cognitive development in children 2 to 5½ years of age. The MSEL is organized into 5 subscales: (a) gross motor, (b) fine motor, (c) visual reception (or non-verbal problem solving), (d) receptive language, and (e) expressive language. An early learning composite score can be derived from fine motor, visual reception, receptive language, and expressive language scales. For young children this early learning composite score is considered equivalent to a more traditional intelligence quotient score or a developmental standard score. Each subscale is standardized to calculate a standard score, percentile and age-equivalent score. The maximum achievable raw score per scale is 50 for the visual reception scale, 49 for the fine motor scale, 48 for the receptive language scale and 50 for the expressive language scale. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Measured: Month 12
Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) before parental coaching
CEBQ is a 35-item parent-report questionnaire assessing eating style in children. Eating style is assessed on eight scales: food responsiveness (4 items), enjoyment of food (4 items), emotional overeating (4 items), desire to drink (3 items), satiety responsiveness (5 items), slowness in eating (4 items), and emotional undereating (4 items), and fussiness (7 items). Informants rate the frequency of their child's behaviors and experiences on a 5-point scale: 1 = never, 2 = rarely, 3 = sometimes, 4 = often, 5 = always.
Measured: Month 0
Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) immediately after the end of parental coaching
CEBQ is a 35-item parent-report questionnaire assessing eating style in children. Eating style is assessed on eight scales: food responsiveness (4 items), enjoyment of food (4 items), emotional overeating (4 items), desire to drink (3 items), satiety responsiveness (5 items), slowness in eating (4 items), and emotional undereating (4 items), and fussiness (7 items). Informants rate the frequency of their child's behaviors and experiences on a 5-point scale: 1 = never, 2 = rarely, 3 = sometimes, 4 = often, 5 = always.
Measured: Month 6
Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) 6 months after the end of parental coaching
CEBQ is a 35-item parent-report questionnaire assessing eating style in children. Eating style is assessed on eight scales: food responsiveness (4 items), enjoyment of food (4 items), emotional overeating (4 items), desire to drink (3 items), satiety responsiveness (5 items), slowness in eating (4 items), and emotional undereating (4 items), and fussiness (7 items). Informants rate the frequency of their child's behaviors and experiences on a 5-point scale: 1 = never, 2 = rarely, 3 = sometimes, 4 = often, 5 = always.
Measured: Month 12
Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)/1.5-5 before parental coaching
The CBCL/1.5-5 obtains caregivers' ratings of 99 problem items. Items are scored on the following syndrome scales: Emotionally Reactive, Anxious/Depressed, Somatic Complaints, Withdrawn, Attention Problems, Aggressive Behavior, and Sleep Problems. Items are also scored on the following Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-oriented scales: Affective Problems, Anxiety Problems, Pervasive Developmental Problems, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Problems, Stress Problems, Autism Spectrum Problems, and Oppositional Defiant Problems. According to the normative data of the CBCL, a t-score ≤ 59 indicates non-clinical symptoms, a t-score between 60 and 64 indicates that the child is at risk for problem behaviors, and a t-score ≥ 65 indicates clinical symptoms. Higher scores mean thus a worse outcome.
Measured: Month 0
Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)/1.5-5 immediately after the end of parental coaching
The CBCL/1.5-5 obtains caregivers' ratings of 99 problem items. Items are scored on the following syndrome scales: Emotionally Reactive, Anxious/Depressed, Somatic Complaints, Withdrawn, Attention Problems, Aggressive Behavior, and Sleep Problems. Items are also scored on the following Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-oriented scales: Affective Problems, Anxiety Problems, Pervasive Developmental Problems, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Problems, Stress Problems, Autism Spectrum Problems, and Oppositional Defiant Problems. According to the normative data of the CBCL, a t-score ≤ 59 indicates non-clinical symptoms, a t-score between 60 and 64 indicates that the child is at risk for problem behaviors, and a t-score ≥ 65 indicates clinical symptoms. Higher scores mean thus a worse outcome.
Measured: Month 6
Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)/1.5-5 6 months after the end of parental coaching
The CBCL/1.5-5 obtains caregivers' ratings of 99 problem items. Items are scored on the following syndrome scales: Emotionally Reactive, Anxious/Depressed, Somatic Complaints, Withdrawn, Attention Problems, Aggressive Behavior, and Sleep Problems. Items are also scored on the following Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-oriented scales: Affective Problems, Anxiety Problems, Pervasive Developmental Problems, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Problems, Stress Problems, Autism Spectrum Problems, and Oppositional Defiant Problems. According to the normative data of the CBCL, a t-score ≤ 59 indicates non-clinical symptoms, a t-score between 60 and 64 indicates that the child is at risk for problem behaviors, and a t-score ≥ 65 indicates clinical symptoms. Higher scores mean thus a worse outcome.
Measured: Month 12
Paediatric Sleep questionnaire (PSQ) before parental coaching
PSQ contains 22 symptom items that ask about snoring frequency, loud snoring, observed apneas, difficulty breathing during sleep, daytime sleepiness, inattentive or hyperactive behavior, and other pediatric sleep-related features. Subscales within the PSQ include a 4-item sleepiness scale, a 4-item snoring scale, and a 6-item in attention/hyperactivity scale. The answers are scored as "0" (symptom absent) or "1" (symptom present) and the overall score is calculated as a proportion of positive answers with a score greater or equal to 0.33 being considered predictive for sleep disordered breathing. Higher scores mean thus a worse outcome.
Measured: Month 0
Paediatric Sleep questionnaire (PSQ) immediately after the end of parental coaching
PSQ contains 22 symptom items that ask about snoring frequency, loud snoring, observed apneas, difficulty breathing during sleep, daytime sleepiness, inattentive or hyperactive behavior, and other pediatric sleep-related features. Subscales within the PSQ include a 4-item sleepiness scale, a 4-item snoring scale, and a 6-item in attention/hyperactivity scale. The answers are scored as "0" (symptom absent) or "1" (symptom present) and the overall score is calculated as a proportion of positive answers with a score greater or equal to 0.33 being considered predictive for sleep disordered breathing. Higher scores mean thus a worse outcome.
Measured: Month 6
Paediatric Sleep questionnaire (PSQ) 6 months after the end of parental coaching
PSQ contains 22 symptom items that ask about snoring frequency, loud snoring, observed apneas, difficulty breathing during sleep, daytime sleepiness, inattentive or hyperactive behavior, and other pediatric sleep-related features. Subscales within the PSQ include a 4-item sleepiness scale, a 4-item snoring scale, and a 6-item in attention/hyperactivity scale. The answers are scored as "0" (symptom absent) or "1" (symptom present) and the overall score is calculated as a proportion of positive answers with a score greater or equal to 0.33 being considered predictive for sleep disordered breathing. Higher scores mean thus a worse outcome.
Measured: Month 12
Parenting Stress Index (PSI) before parental coaching
PSI is a questionnaire designed to measure the extent of stress in the parent-child relationship. This diagnostic instrument is based on the assumption that the integral stress experienced by the parent depends on certain characteristics of the child, the parent, and the parenting situation. Child stress features are measured on six scales:
Hyperactivity/Distraction, Adaptability, Reinforcement, Demands, Mood, Acceptability. Parent personality and situational variables are measured on seven scales: Depression, Sense of competence, Attachment, Marital relationship, Social isolation, Parenting health, Parenting restrictions. PSI has 36 items based on a five-point Likert scale where each value corresponds to a specific statement (1 = completely disagree; 5 = completely agree). The subscale scores range from 12 to 60, and the Total Stress score ranges from 36 to 180. The higher the score, the greater the level of parental stress.
Measured: Month 0
Parenting Stress Index (PSI) immediately after the end of parental coaching
PSI is a questionnaire designed to measure the extent of stress in the parent-child relationship. This diagnostic instrument is based on the assumption that the integral stress experienced by the parent depends on certain characteristics of the child, the parent, and the parenting situation. Child stress features are measured on six scales:
Hyperactivity/Distraction, Adaptability, Reinforcement, Demands, Mood, Acceptability. Parent personality and situational variables are measured on seven scales: Depression, Sense of competence, Attachment, Marital relationship, Social isolation, Parenting health, Parenting restrictions. PSI has 36 items based on a five-point Likert scale where each value corresponds to a specific statement (1 = completely disagree; 5 = completely agree). The subscale scores range from 12 to 60, and the Total Stress score ranges from 36 to 180. The higher the score, the greater the level of parental stress.
Measured: Month 6
Parenting Stress Index (PSI) 6 months after the end of parental coaching
PSI is a questionnaire designed to measure the extent of stress in the parent-child relationship. This diagnostic instrument is based on the assumption that the integral stress experienced by the parent depends on certain characteristics of the child, the parent, and the parenting situation. Child stress features are measured on six scales:
Hyperactivity/Distraction, Adaptability, Reinforcement, Demands, Mood, Acceptability. Parent personality and situational variables are measured on seven scales: Depression, Sense of competence, Attachment, Marital relationship, Social isolation, Parenting health, Parenting restrictions. PSI has 36 items based on a five-point Likert scale where each value corresponds to a specific statement (1 = completely disagree; 5 = completely agree). The subscale scores range from 12 to 60, and the Total Stress score ranges from 36 to 180. The higher the score, the greater the level of parental stress.
Measured: Month 12
Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC) before parental coaching
The PSOC questionnaire is composed of 17 statements that measure the feeling of competence in the exercise of the parental role. It has two subscales: seven statements concern the feeling of efficacy and ten others, the feeling of satisfaction. One version is available for the father and another for the mother. Respondents rate their parenting competence on a six-point Likert-type scale ranging from "strongly agree" (1) to "strongly disagree" (6). The score can vary from 7 to 42, with a score of 7 to 13 indicating a very low sense of efficacy and a score of 38 to 42 indicating a very high sense of efficacy on the continuum. Higher scores mean thus a better outcome.
Measured: Month 0
Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC) immediately after the end of parental coaching
The PSOC questionnaire is composed of 17 statements that measure the feeling of competence in the exercise of the parental role. It has two subscales: seven statements concern the feeling of efficacy and ten others, the feeling of satisfaction. One version is available for the father and another for the mother. Respondents rate their parenting competence on a six-point Likert-type scale ranging from "strongly agree" (1) to "strongly disagree" (6). The score can vary from 7 to 42, with a score of 7 to 13 indicating a very low sense of efficacy and a score of 38 to 42 indicating a very high sense of efficacy on the continuum. Higher scores mean thus a better outcome.
Measured: Month 6
Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC) 6 months after the end of parental coaching
The PSOC questionnaire is composed of 17 statements that measure the feeling of competence in the exercise of the parental role. It has two subscales: seven statements concern the feeling of efficacy and ten others, the feeling of satisfaction. One version is available for the father and another for the mother. Respondents rate their parenting competence on a six-point Likert-type scale ranging from "strongly agree" (1) to "strongly disagree" (6). The score can vary from 7 to 42, with a score of 7 to 13 indicating a very low sense of efficacy and a score of 38 to 42 indicating a very high sense of efficacy on the continuum. Higher scores mean thus a better outcome.
Measured: Month 12
Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale (CAPES) before parental coaching
Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale (CAPES) is a parent-report questionnaire that measures child behavioural and emotional adjustment and parental efficacy. It consists of 30 items rated on a 4-point scale, ranging from not true of my child at all (0) to true of my child very much, or most of the time (3), where 20 items are two-part questions that assess both child behaviour and parent efficacy. Twenty-six items assess behaviour concerns (e.g., My child rudely answers back to me) and behavioural competencies (Behaviour Scale; e.g., My child follows rules and limits), and four items assess emotional adjustment (Emotional Maladjustment Scale; e.g., My child worries). Some items are reverse scored. Items are summed to yield a total intensity score (CAPES intensity scale: range of 0-90), which is made up of a behaviour score (range of 0-78) and an emotional maladjustment score (0-12) where high scores indicate higher levels of problems.
Measured: Month 0
Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale (CAPES) immediately after the end of parental coaching
Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale (CAPES) is a parent-report questionnaire that measures child behavioural and emotional adjustment and parental efficacy. It consists of 30 items rated on a 4-point scale, ranging from not true of my child at all (0) to true of my child very much, or most of the time (3), where 20 items are two-part questions that assess both child behaviour and parent efficacy. Twenty-six items assess behaviour concerns (e.g., My child rudely answers back to me) and behavioural competencies (Behaviour Scale; e.g., My child follows rules and limits), and four items assess emotional adjustment (Emotional Maladjustment Scale; e.g., My child worries). Some items are reverse scored. Items are summed to yield a total intensity score (CAPES intensity scale: range of 0-90), which is made up of a behaviour score (range of 0-78) and an emotional maladjustment score (0-12) where high scores indicate higher levels of problems.
Measured: Month 6
Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale (CAPES) 6 months after the end of parental coaching
Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale (CAPES) is a parent-report questionnaire that measures child behavioural and emotional adjustment and parental efficacy. It consists of 30 items rated on a 4-point scale, ranging from not true of my child at all (0) to true of my child very much, or most of the time (3), where 20 items are two-part questions that assess both child behaviour and parent efficacy. Twenty-six items assess behaviour concerns (e.g., My child rudely answers back to me) and behavioural competencies (Behaviour Scale; e.g., My child follows rules and limits), and four items assess emotional adjustment (Emotional Maladjustment Scale; e.g., My child worries). Some items are reverse scored. Items are summed to yield a total intensity score (CAPES intensity scale: range of 0-90), which is made up of a behaviour score (range of 0-78) and an emotional maladjustment score (0-12) where high scores indicate higher levels of problems.
Measured: Month 12
Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE) Inventory before parental coaching
The Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE) is a 28 item self-report questionnaire designed to measure effective and ineffective ways to cope with a stressful life event. "Coping" is defined broadly as an effort used to minimise distress associated with negative life experiences. The scale is often used in health-care settings to ascertain how patients are emotionally responding to a serious circumstance.
It is comprised of 14 scales, each of which assesses the degree to which a respondent utilizes a specific coping strategy. Respondents rate items on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 - "I haven't been doing this at all" to 4 - "I've been doing this a lot." Each of the 14 scales is comprised of 2 items; total scores on each scale range from 2 (minimum) to 8 (maximum). Higher scores indicate increased utilization of that specific coping strategy.
Measured: Month 0
Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE) Inventory immediately after the end of parental coaching
The Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE) is a 28 item self-report questionnaire designed to measure effective and ineffective ways to cope with a stressful life event. "Coping" is defined broadly as an effort used to minimise distress associated with negative life experiences. The scale is often used in health-care settings to ascertain how patients are emotionally responding to a serious circumstance.
It is comprised of 14 scales, each of which assesses the degree to which a respondent utilizes a specific coping strategy. Respondents rate items on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 - "I haven't been doing this at all" to 4 - "I've been doing this a lot." Each of the 14 scales is comprised of 2 items; total scores on each scale range from 2 (minimum) to 8 (maximum). Higher scores indicate increased utilization of that specific coping strategy.
Measured: Month 6
Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE) Inventory 6 months after the end of parental coaching
The Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE) is a 28 item self-report questionnaire designed to measure effective and ineffective ways to cope with a stressful life event. "Coping" is defined broadly as an effort used to minimise distress associated with negative life experiences. The scale is often used in health-care settings to ascertain how patients are emotionally responding to a serious circumstance.
It is comprised of 14 scales, each of which assesses the degree to which a respondent utilizes a specific coping strategy. Respondents rate items on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 - "I haven't been doing this at all" to 4 - "I've been doing this a lot." Each of the 14 scales is comprised of 2 items; total scores on each scale range from 2 (minimum) to 8 (maximum). Higher scores indicate increased utilization of that specific coping strategy.
Measured: Month 12
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Feb 2023
- Study start24 Oct 2023
- Primary completion31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Autism Spectrum DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire VaudoisThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 99 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Nadia Chabane, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05726708
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 552
- Acronym
- ECOACH
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 26 Jan 2023
- Last updated
- 28 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Impact of an E-Learning Parental Coaching for Parents of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05726708
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- ECOACH / 552
- Conditions
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Keywords
- autism, parental coaching
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 99 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire VaudoisUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 24 Oct 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 14 Feb 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this study is to evaluate the impact of a parental coaching based on E-Learning (EL), intended for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Population: parents of young children (2 to 4 years old) with an ASD diagnosis.
The main questions that our study will answer are:
- Has parental coaching via E-Learning a significant impact compared to no coaching?
- If so, is that impact comparable to standard parental coaching such as PACT?
The impact will be evaluated in three domains:
- Child development: behavior, sleep, eating behavior
- Parental competences: stress, coping, feeling of parental competencies
- Parent-child interaction: communication, visual attention
The investigators will compare 3 groups:
- ASD children whose parents will follow a parental coaching via E-learning,
- ASD children whose parents will follow a standard parental coaching (PACT)
- ASD children whose parents will not follow any specific coaching program
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| E-Learning | Experimental | Behavioral: E-LearningE-Learning coaching. 11 modules on line. 5 debriefing on visio conference with a professional (1/month) |
| Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy (PACT) | Active comparator | Behavioral: E-LearningParents will have 12 coaching sessions with a therapist, following the PACT model. Between each session, the parent will be asked to practice the strategies at home and to film themselves doing an activity with their child (10-minute film). |
| Control | No intervention | –No parental coaching |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 24 to 48 months
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Children with ASD
- Age 2 years to 4 years and 6 months
- Family speaking french
- Parent who signed the consent form
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- children with known genetic syndrome
- children with visual or auditive deficit
- children with epilepsy
- no internet access
- no french speaking
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| E-LearningOn line modules of coaching for parents | Behavioural | E-Learning, Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy (PACT) |
Primary outcome
Dyadic Communication Measure for Autism (DCMA) before parental coaching
Time frame: Month 0
DCMA is a measure of the natural flowing dyadic communication interaction between parent and child in a free play context. It was originally designed to capture aspects of communication in young children with autism and aspects of the parent communication style that are often targeted in communication-focussed interventions. It Is grounded in the theory and research on pragmatic language development in children, specifically in children with autism. DCMA involves video-recording the parent and child playing together in a natural way using a standard set of toys. The interaction is then coded from video-tape and three levels of the interaction are observed: * Parent synchrony and responsiveness * Child communicative initiations, responses and communicative functions * Amount of mutual shared attention between parent and child
Dyadic Communication Measure for Autism (DCMA) immediately after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 6
DCMA is a measure of the natural flowing dyadic communication interaction between parent and child in a free play context. It was originally designed to capture aspects of communication in young children with autism and aspects of the parent communication style that are often targeted in communication-focussed interventions. It Is grounded in the theory and research on pragmatic language development in children, specifically in children with autism. DCMA involves video-recording the parent and child playing together in a natural way using a standard set of toys. The interaction is then coded from video-tape and three levels of the interaction are observed: * Parent synchrony and responsiveness * Child communicative initiations, responses and communicative functions * Amount of mutual shared attention between parent and child
Dyadic Communication Measure for Autism (DCMA) 6 months after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 12
DCMA is a measure of the natural flowing dyadic communication interaction between parent and child in a free play context. It was originally designed to capture aspects of communication in young children with autism and aspects of the parent communication style that are often targeted in communication-focussed interventions. It Is grounded in the theory and research on pragmatic language development in children, specifically in children with autism. DCMA involves video-recording the parent and child playing together in a natural way using a standard set of toys. The interaction is then coded from video-tape and three levels of the interaction are observed: * Parent synchrony and responsiveness * Child communicative initiations, responses and communicative functions * Amount of mutual shared attention between parent and child
Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC) before parental coaching
Time frame: Month 0
BOSCC is a treatment response measure of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms. The BOSCC is a behavioral coding scheme that is applied to 10-12 min videotaped social/play interactions between a child and a researcher or caregiver (play partner). The coding scheme was developed by expanding items from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), to quantify more nuanced variation in ASD symptoms.
Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC) immediately after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 6
BOSCC is a treatment response measure of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms. The BOSCC is a behavioral coding scheme that is applied to 10-12 min videotaped social/play interactions between a child and a researcher or caregiver (play partner). The coding scheme was developed by expanding items from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), to quantify more nuanced variation in ASD symptoms.
Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC) 6 months after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 12
BOSCC is a treatment response measure of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms. The BOSCC is a behavioral coding scheme that is applied to 10-12 min videotaped social/play interactions between a child and a researcher or caregiver (play partner). The coding scheme was developed by expanding items from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), to quantify more nuanced variation in ASD symptoms.
Percentage of synchronized communication acts with the parents and professionals before parental coaching
Time frame: Month 0
Head-mounted Eye tracking system to record eye movements during Dyadic Communication Measure for Autism (DCMA) and Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC). Head-mounted eye trackers not only capture the child's view of their environment, but also track where they are looking in first person, at all times, allowing us to study gaze in more naturalistic situations. In particular, wearable eye trackers improve the construct validity of developmentally important concepts, such as visual object experiences and social attention, in ways that would be impossible with screen-based eye trackers. The investigators will measure the percentage of synchronous communication acts with the parents and professionals.
Percentage of synchronized communication acts with the parents and professionals immediately after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 6
Head-mounted Eye tracking system to record eye movements during Dyadic Communication Measure for Autism (DCMA) and Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC). Head-mounted eye trackers not only capture the child's view of their environment, but also track where they are looking in first person, at all times, allowing us to study gaze in more naturalistic situations. In particular, wearable eye trackers improve the construct validity of developmentally important concepts, such as visual object experiences and social attention, in ways that would be impossible with screen-based eye trackers. The investigators will measure the percentage of synchronous communication acts with the parents and professionals.
Percentage of synchronized communication acts with the parents and professionals 6 months after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 12
Head-mounted Eye tracking system to record eye movements during Dyadic Communication Measure for Autism (DCMA) and Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC). Head-mounted eye trackers not only capture the child's view of their environment, but also track where they are looking in first person, at all times, allowing us to study gaze in more naturalistic situations. In particular, wearable eye trackers improve the construct validity of developmentally important concepts, such as visual object experiences and social attention, in ways that would be impossible with screen-based eye trackers. The investigators will measure the percentage of synchronous communication acts with the parents and professionals.
Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) before parental coaching
Time frame: Month 0
The Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) is a standardized assessment commonly used in clinical psychology as a developmental measure of cognitive development in children 2 to 5½ years of age. The MSEL is organized into 5 subscales: (a) gross motor, (b) fine motor, (c) visual reception (or non-verbal problem solving), (d) receptive language, and (e) expressive language. An early learning composite score can be derived from fine motor, visual reception, receptive language, and expressive language scales. For young children this early learning composite score is considered equivalent to a more traditional intelligence quotient score or a developmental standard score. Each subscale is standardized to calculate a standard score, percentile and age-equivalent score. The maximum achievable raw score per scale is 50 for the visual reception scale, 49 for the fine motor scale, 48 for the receptive language scale and 50 for the expressive language scale. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) immediately after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 6
The Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) is a standardized assessment commonly used in clinical psychology as a developmental measure of cognitive development in children 2 to 5½ years of age. The MSEL is organized into 5 subscales: (a) gross motor, (b) fine motor, (c) visual reception (or non-verbal problem solving), (d) receptive language, and (e) expressive language. An early learning composite score can be derived from fine motor, visual reception, receptive language, and expressive language scales. For young children this early learning composite score is considered equivalent to a more traditional intelligence quotient score or a developmental standard score. Each subscale is standardized to calculate a standard score, percentile and age-equivalent score. The maximum achievable raw score per scale is 50 for the visual reception scale, 49 for the fine motor scale, 48 for the receptive language scale and 50 for the expressive language scale. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) 6 months after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 12
The Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) is a standardized assessment commonly used in clinical psychology as a developmental measure of cognitive development in children 2 to 5½ years of age. The MSEL is organized into 5 subscales: (a) gross motor, (b) fine motor, (c) visual reception (or non-verbal problem solving), (d) receptive language, and (e) expressive language. An early learning composite score can be derived from fine motor, visual reception, receptive language, and expressive language scales. For young children this early learning composite score is considered equivalent to a more traditional intelligence quotient score or a developmental standard score. Each subscale is standardized to calculate a standard score, percentile and age-equivalent score. The maximum achievable raw score per scale is 50 for the visual reception scale, 49 for the fine motor scale, 48 for the receptive language scale and 50 for the expressive language scale. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) before parental coaching
Time frame: Month 0
CEBQ is a 35-item parent-report questionnaire assessing eating style in children. Eating style is assessed on eight scales: food responsiveness (4 items), enjoyment of food (4 items), emotional overeating (4 items), desire to drink (3 items), satiety responsiveness (5 items), slowness in eating (4 items), and emotional undereating (4 items), and fussiness (7 items). Informants rate the frequency of their child's behaviors and experiences on a 5-point scale: 1 = never, 2 = rarely, 3 = sometimes, 4 = often, 5 = always.
Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) immediately after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 6
CEBQ is a 35-item parent-report questionnaire assessing eating style in children. Eating style is assessed on eight scales: food responsiveness (4 items), enjoyment of food (4 items), emotional overeating (4 items), desire to drink (3 items), satiety responsiveness (5 items), slowness in eating (4 items), and emotional undereating (4 items), and fussiness (7 items). Informants rate the frequency of their child's behaviors and experiences on a 5-point scale: 1 = never, 2 = rarely, 3 = sometimes, 4 = often, 5 = always.
Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) 6 months after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 12
CEBQ is a 35-item parent-report questionnaire assessing eating style in children. Eating style is assessed on eight scales: food responsiveness (4 items), enjoyment of food (4 items), emotional overeating (4 items), desire to drink (3 items), satiety responsiveness (5 items), slowness in eating (4 items), and emotional undereating (4 items), and fussiness (7 items). Informants rate the frequency of their child's behaviors and experiences on a 5-point scale: 1 = never, 2 = rarely, 3 = sometimes, 4 = often, 5 = always.
Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)/1.5-5 before parental coaching
Time frame: Month 0
The CBCL/1.5-5 obtains caregivers' ratings of 99 problem items. Items are scored on the following syndrome scales: Emotionally Reactive, Anxious/Depressed, Somatic Complaints, Withdrawn, Attention Problems, Aggressive Behavior, and Sleep Problems. Items are also scored on the following Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-oriented scales: Affective Problems, Anxiety Problems, Pervasive Developmental Problems, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Problems, Stress Problems, Autism Spectrum Problems, and Oppositional Defiant Problems. According to the normative data of the CBCL, a t-score ≤ 59 indicates non-clinical symptoms, a t-score between 60 and 64 indicates that the child is at risk for problem behaviors, and a t-score ≥ 65 indicates clinical symptoms. Higher scores mean thus a worse outcome.
Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)/1.5-5 immediately after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 6
The CBCL/1.5-5 obtains caregivers' ratings of 99 problem items. Items are scored on the following syndrome scales: Emotionally Reactive, Anxious/Depressed, Somatic Complaints, Withdrawn, Attention Problems, Aggressive Behavior, and Sleep Problems. Items are also scored on the following Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-oriented scales: Affective Problems, Anxiety Problems, Pervasive Developmental Problems, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Problems, Stress Problems, Autism Spectrum Problems, and Oppositional Defiant Problems. According to the normative data of the CBCL, a t-score ≤ 59 indicates non-clinical symptoms, a t-score between 60 and 64 indicates that the child is at risk for problem behaviors, and a t-score ≥ 65 indicates clinical symptoms. Higher scores mean thus a worse outcome.
Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)/1.5-5 6 months after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 12
The CBCL/1.5-5 obtains caregivers' ratings of 99 problem items. Items are scored on the following syndrome scales: Emotionally Reactive, Anxious/Depressed, Somatic Complaints, Withdrawn, Attention Problems, Aggressive Behavior, and Sleep Problems. Items are also scored on the following Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-oriented scales: Affective Problems, Anxiety Problems, Pervasive Developmental Problems, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Problems, Stress Problems, Autism Spectrum Problems, and Oppositional Defiant Problems. According to the normative data of the CBCL, a t-score ≤ 59 indicates non-clinical symptoms, a t-score between 60 and 64 indicates that the child is at risk for problem behaviors, and a t-score ≥ 65 indicates clinical symptoms. Higher scores mean thus a worse outcome.
Paediatric Sleep questionnaire (PSQ) before parental coaching
Time frame: Month 0
PSQ contains 22 symptom items that ask about snoring frequency, loud snoring, observed apneas, difficulty breathing during sleep, daytime sleepiness, inattentive or hyperactive behavior, and other pediatric sleep-related features. Subscales within the PSQ include a 4-item sleepiness scale, a 4-item snoring scale, and a 6-item in attention/hyperactivity scale. The answers are scored as "0" (symptom absent) or "1" (symptom present) and the overall score is calculated as a proportion of positive answers with a score greater or equal to 0.33 being considered predictive for sleep disordered breathing. Higher scores mean thus a worse outcome.
Paediatric Sleep questionnaire (PSQ) immediately after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 6
PSQ contains 22 symptom items that ask about snoring frequency, loud snoring, observed apneas, difficulty breathing during sleep, daytime sleepiness, inattentive or hyperactive behavior, and other pediatric sleep-related features. Subscales within the PSQ include a 4-item sleepiness scale, a 4-item snoring scale, and a 6-item in attention/hyperactivity scale. The answers are scored as "0" (symptom absent) or "1" (symptom present) and the overall score is calculated as a proportion of positive answers with a score greater or equal to 0.33 being considered predictive for sleep disordered breathing. Higher scores mean thus a worse outcome.
Paediatric Sleep questionnaire (PSQ) 6 months after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 12
PSQ contains 22 symptom items that ask about snoring frequency, loud snoring, observed apneas, difficulty breathing during sleep, daytime sleepiness, inattentive or hyperactive behavior, and other pediatric sleep-related features. Subscales within the PSQ include a 4-item sleepiness scale, a 4-item snoring scale, and a 6-item in attention/hyperactivity scale. The answers are scored as "0" (symptom absent) or "1" (symptom present) and the overall score is calculated as a proportion of positive answers with a score greater or equal to 0.33 being considered predictive for sleep disordered breathing. Higher scores mean thus a worse outcome.
Parenting Stress Index (PSI) before parental coaching
Time frame: Month 0
PSI is a questionnaire designed to measure the extent of stress in the parent-child relationship. This diagnostic instrument is based on the assumption that the integral stress experienced by the parent depends on certain characteristics of the child, the parent, and the parenting situation. Child stress features are measured on six scales: Hyperactivity/Distraction, Adaptability, Reinforcement, Demands, Mood, Acceptability. Parent personality and situational variables are measured on seven scales: Depression, Sense of competence, Attachment, Marital relationship, Social isolation, Parenting health, Parenting restrictions. PSI has 36 items based on a five-point Likert scale where each value corresponds to a specific statement (1 = completely disagree; 5 = completely agree). The subscale scores range from 12 to 60, and the Total Stress score ranges from 36 to 180. The higher the score, the greater the level of parental stress.
Parenting Stress Index (PSI) immediately after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 6
PSI is a questionnaire designed to measure the extent of stress in the parent-child relationship. This diagnostic instrument is based on the assumption that the integral stress experienced by the parent depends on certain characteristics of the child, the parent, and the parenting situation. Child stress features are measured on six scales: Hyperactivity/Distraction, Adaptability, Reinforcement, Demands, Mood, Acceptability. Parent personality and situational variables are measured on seven scales: Depression, Sense of competence, Attachment, Marital relationship, Social isolation, Parenting health, Parenting restrictions. PSI has 36 items based on a five-point Likert scale where each value corresponds to a specific statement (1 = completely disagree; 5 = completely agree). The subscale scores range from 12 to 60, and the Total Stress score ranges from 36 to 180. The higher the score, the greater the level of parental stress.
Parenting Stress Index (PSI) 6 months after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 12
PSI is a questionnaire designed to measure the extent of stress in the parent-child relationship. This diagnostic instrument is based on the assumption that the integral stress experienced by the parent depends on certain characteristics of the child, the parent, and the parenting situation. Child stress features are measured on six scales: Hyperactivity/Distraction, Adaptability, Reinforcement, Demands, Mood, Acceptability. Parent personality and situational variables are measured on seven scales: Depression, Sense of competence, Attachment, Marital relationship, Social isolation, Parenting health, Parenting restrictions. PSI has 36 items based on a five-point Likert scale where each value corresponds to a specific statement (1 = completely disagree; 5 = completely agree). The subscale scores range from 12 to 60, and the Total Stress score ranges from 36 to 180. The higher the score, the greater the level of parental stress.
Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC) before parental coaching
Time frame: Month 0
The PSOC questionnaire is composed of 17 statements that measure the feeling of competence in the exercise of the parental role. It has two subscales: seven statements concern the feeling of efficacy and ten others, the feeling of satisfaction. One version is available for the father and another for the mother. Respondents rate their parenting competence on a six-point Likert-type scale ranging from "strongly agree" (1) to "strongly disagree" (6). The score can vary from 7 to 42, with a score of 7 to 13 indicating a very low sense of efficacy and a score of 38 to 42 indicating a very high sense of efficacy on the continuum. Higher scores mean thus a better outcome.
Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC) immediately after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 6
The PSOC questionnaire is composed of 17 statements that measure the feeling of competence in the exercise of the parental role. It has two subscales: seven statements concern the feeling of efficacy and ten others, the feeling of satisfaction. One version is available for the father and another for the mother. Respondents rate their parenting competence on a six-point Likert-type scale ranging from "strongly agree" (1) to "strongly disagree" (6). The score can vary from 7 to 42, with a score of 7 to 13 indicating a very low sense of efficacy and a score of 38 to 42 indicating a very high sense of efficacy on the continuum. Higher scores mean thus a better outcome.
Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC) 6 months after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 12
The PSOC questionnaire is composed of 17 statements that measure the feeling of competence in the exercise of the parental role. It has two subscales: seven statements concern the feeling of efficacy and ten others, the feeling of satisfaction. One version is available for the father and another for the mother. Respondents rate their parenting competence on a six-point Likert-type scale ranging from "strongly agree" (1) to "strongly disagree" (6). The score can vary from 7 to 42, with a score of 7 to 13 indicating a very low sense of efficacy and a score of 38 to 42 indicating a very high sense of efficacy on the continuum. Higher scores mean thus a better outcome.
Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale (CAPES) before parental coaching
Time frame: Month 0
Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale (CAPES) is a parent-report questionnaire that measures child behavioural and emotional adjustment and parental efficacy. It consists of 30 items rated on a 4-point scale, ranging from not true of my child at all (0) to true of my child very much, or most of the time (3), where 20 items are two-part questions that assess both child behaviour and parent efficacy. Twenty-six items assess behaviour concerns (e.g., My child rudely answers back to me) and behavioural competencies (Behaviour Scale; e.g., My child follows rules and limits), and four items assess emotional adjustment (Emotional Maladjustment Scale; e.g., My child worries). Some items are reverse scored. Items are summed to yield a total intensity score (CAPES intensity scale: range of 0-90), which is made up of a behaviour score (range of 0-78) and an emotional maladjustment score (0-12) where high scores indicate higher levels of problems.
Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale (CAPES) immediately after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 6
Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale (CAPES) is a parent-report questionnaire that measures child behavioural and emotional adjustment and parental efficacy. It consists of 30 items rated on a 4-point scale, ranging from not true of my child at all (0) to true of my child very much, or most of the time (3), where 20 items are two-part questions that assess both child behaviour and parent efficacy. Twenty-six items assess behaviour concerns (e.g., My child rudely answers back to me) and behavioural competencies (Behaviour Scale; e.g., My child follows rules and limits), and four items assess emotional adjustment (Emotional Maladjustment Scale; e.g., My child worries). Some items are reverse scored. Items are summed to yield a total intensity score (CAPES intensity scale: range of 0-90), which is made up of a behaviour score (range of 0-78) and an emotional maladjustment score (0-12) where high scores indicate higher levels of problems.
Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale (CAPES) 6 months after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 12
Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale (CAPES) is a parent-report questionnaire that measures child behavioural and emotional adjustment and parental efficacy. It consists of 30 items rated on a 4-point scale, ranging from not true of my child at all (0) to true of my child very much, or most of the time (3), where 20 items are two-part questions that assess both child behaviour and parent efficacy. Twenty-six items assess behaviour concerns (e.g., My child rudely answers back to me) and behavioural competencies (Behaviour Scale; e.g., My child follows rules and limits), and four items assess emotional adjustment (Emotional Maladjustment Scale; e.g., My child worries). Some items are reverse scored. Items are summed to yield a total intensity score (CAPES intensity scale: range of 0-90), which is made up of a behaviour score (range of 0-78) and an emotional maladjustment score (0-12) where high scores indicate higher levels of problems.
Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE) Inventory before parental coaching
Time frame: Month 0
The Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE) is a 28 item self-report questionnaire designed to measure effective and ineffective ways to cope with a stressful life event. "Coping" is defined broadly as an effort used to minimise distress associated with negative life experiences. The scale is often used in health-care settings to ascertain how patients are emotionally responding to a serious circumstance. It is comprised of 14 scales, each of which assesses the degree to which a respondent utilizes a specific coping strategy. Respondents rate items on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 - "I haven't been doing this at all" to 4 - "I've been doing this a lot." Each of the 14 scales is comprised of 2 items; total scores on each scale range from 2 (minimum) to 8 (maximum). Higher scores indicate increased utilization of that specific coping strategy.
Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE) Inventory immediately after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 6
The Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE) is a 28 item self-report questionnaire designed to measure effective and ineffective ways to cope with a stressful life event. "Coping" is defined broadly as an effort used to minimise distress associated with negative life experiences. The scale is often used in health-care settings to ascertain how patients are emotionally responding to a serious circumstance. It is comprised of 14 scales, each of which assesses the degree to which a respondent utilizes a specific coping strategy. Respondents rate items on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 - "I haven't been doing this at all" to 4 - "I've been doing this a lot." Each of the 14 scales is comprised of 2 items; total scores on each scale range from 2 (minimum) to 8 (maximum). Higher scores indicate increased utilization of that specific coping strategy.
Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE) Inventory 6 months after the end of parental coaching
Time frame: Month 12
The Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE) is a 28 item self-report questionnaire designed to measure effective and ineffective ways to cope with a stressful life event. "Coping" is defined broadly as an effort used to minimise distress associated with negative life experiences. The scale is often used in health-care settings to ascertain how patients are emotionally responding to a serious circumstance. It is comprised of 14 scales, each of which assesses the degree to which a respondent utilizes a specific coping strategy. Respondents rate items on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 - "I haven't been doing this at all" to 4 - "I've been doing this a lot." Each of the 14 scales is comprised of 2 items; total scores on each scale range from 2 (minimum) to 8 (maximum). Higher scores indicate increased utilization of that specific coping strategy.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing E-Learning in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, run by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois at 1 site in Switzerland.
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 4 inclusion and 5 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Switzerland. 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?
Contact Nadia Chabane (+41314 58 94, nadia.chabane@chuv.ch), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Dyadic Communication Measure for Autism (DCMA) before parental coaching (time frame: Month 0). The study lists 33 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 28 Oct 2026.