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Autism Spectrum DisorderNCT06206070

The Westmead Feelings Program Intervention for Chinese Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Hong Kong

A study testing The Hong Kong version of Westmead Feeling Program 2 in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, run by The University of Hong Kong at 1 site in Hong Kong.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The goal of this intervention is to evaluate the effectiveness of delivering the Westmead Feelings Program 2 to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in primary schools in Hong Kong. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 8 to 14 years
Conditions the study is for
Autism Spectrum Disorder
What is being tested?
The Hong Kong version of Westmead Feeling Program 2
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
85 participants
Where
1 siteHong Kong
Study dates
1 Feb 2024to 13 Aug 2025
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

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 8 to 14 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Without a diagnosis of Intellectual Delay
  • Have not received any group training in emotional regulation previously

Who cannot join

  • Without ASD diagnosis
  • Age falls outside the age limits
  • With Intellectual Delays

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Hong Kong1 site
  • University of Hong Kong

    Hong Kong

Other trials in Hong Kong

About this study

Official title: Adaptation and Evaluation of the Hong Kong Version of the Westmead Feelings Program: Emotion-based Learning for Chinese Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Mainstream Schools

The goal of this intervention is to evaluate the effectiveness of delivering the Westmead Feelings Program 2 to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in primary schools in Hong Kong.

Read the detailed description

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • whether the Westmead Feelings Program 2 Hong Kong version (WFP2-HK) program is effective in improving children's social-emotional skills and mental well-being.
  • whether the WFP2-HK program is effective in promoting parents' mental well-being

Child participants will receive 15 sessions of training in the WFP2-HK program. Their parents and teachers will receive three training workshops by coaches or advisors. A booster session will be conducted after 5 months upon completion of the training.

Researchers will compare the outcome results between the treatment group and the waitlist group to see if the intervention is effective.

Being tested
The Hong Kong version of Westmead Feeling Program 2
Keywords
primary school, social emotional competence
Medical subject headings
Autism Spectrum Disorder

What participants receive

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

  • The Hong Kong version of Westmead Feeling Program 2Behavioural

    Also called WFP2-HK

    Westmead Feelings Program (WFP) is a manualized emotion-based learning intervention for children on the autism spectrum. WFP teaches autistic children how to understand their own and other's emotions, solve problems, and regulate emotions through the implementation of transactional support. In doing so, parents and teachers are also trained to develop their emotional coaching skills to support children in everyday settings. Its impact on improving emotional competence in primary school-aged children on the autism spectrum has been established in 41 mainstream schools in Australia.

Study groups in NCT06206070
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
The Hong Kong version of Westmead Feeling Program 2ExperimentalThe treatment group will receive the WFP2-HK program which consists of 15 school-based training sessions over 18 weeks. Three parent- and teacher-training workshops will be delivered separately and preceding each Child Module by coaches or advisors. A booster session will be conducted for the treatment group after 5 months upon completion of the training programs.
Receives: Behavioral: The Hong Kong version of Westmead Feeling Program 2
Waitlist GroupNo interventionWhile the treatment group is receiving training, the waitlist group will be waiting. After 18 weeks of waiting and when the treatment group completes the training. The waitlist group will receive the same training program as that of the treatment group, but no booster session will be provided to the waitlist group.

What is being measured

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

  1. The Emotions Development Questionnaire - Parent Version (Hong Kong version)

    The Emotions Development Questionnaire measures the emotional competence in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) at home and school, covering 5 subdomains, namely emotional understanding, empathy/theory of mind, emotional problem solving, emotional regulation, and emotion coaching skills. The scale consists of 29 items. Responses will be circled on a 5 point Likert scale, with 1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often, 5 = Always, 0 = Don't know. The minimum value of the scale is 0, and the maximum value is 145. Higher scores indicate better emotional competence.

    Measured: Before the intervention

  2. The Emotions Development Questionnaire - Parent Version (Hong Kong version)

    The Emotions Development Questionnaire measures the emotional competence in children with ASD at home and school, covering 5 subdomains, namely emotional understanding, empathy/theory of mind, emotional problem solving, emotional regulation, and emotion coaching skills. The scale consists of 29 items. Responses will be circled on a 5 point Likert scale, with 1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often, 5 = Always, 0 = Don't know. The minimum value of the scale is 0, and the maximum value is 145. Higher scores indicate better emotional competence.

    Measured: 18 weeks, immediately after the intervention

  3. Emotion Development Questionnaire - Teacher Version (Hong Kong version)

    The Emotions Development Questionnaire measures the emotional competence in children with ASD at home and school, covering 5 subdomains, namely emotional understanding, empathy/theory of mind, emotional problem solving, emotional regulation, and emotion coaching skills. The scale consists of 29 items. Responses will be circled on a 5 point Likert scale, with 1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often, 5 = Always, 0 = Don't know. The minimum value of the scale is 0, and the maximum value is 145. Higher scores indicate better emotional competence.

    Measured: Before the intervention

  4. Emotion Development Questionnaire - Teacher Version (Hong Kong version)

    The Emotions Development Questionnaire measures the emotional competence in children with ASD at home and school, covering 5 subdomains, namely emotional understanding, empathy/theory of mind, emotional problem solving, emotional regulation, and emotion coaching skills. The scale consists of 29 items. Responses will be circled on a 5 point Likert scale, with 1 = Never, 2 = Rarely, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often, 5 = Always, 0 = Don't know. The minimum value of the scale is 0, and the maximum value is 145. Higher scores indicate better emotional competence.

    Measured: 18 weeks, immediately after the intervention

  5. Social Responsiveness Scale - 2 (SRS-2)

    The SRS-2 identifies social impairment associated with autism spectrum disorders \& distinguishes ASD from other disorders. It consists of 65 items. The questionnaire comprises five subscales: social awareness, social cognition, social communication, social motivation, restricted interests, and repetitive behavior. Items are scored on a four-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 = not true, 2 = sometimes true, 3 = often true, to 4 = almost always true. The minimum value of the scale is 65, and the maximum value is 260. Higher scores indicate more prominent ASD symptoms.

    Measured: Before the intervention

  6. Social Responsiveness Scale - 2 (SRS-2)

    The SRS-2 identifies social impairment associated with autism spectrum disorders \& distinguishes ASD from other disorders. It consists of 65 items. The questionnaire comprises five subscales: social awareness, social cognition, social communication, social motivation, restricted interests, and repetitive behavior. Items are scored on a four-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 = not true, 2 = sometimes true, 3 = often true, to 4 = almost always true. The minimum value of the scale is 65, and the maximum value is 260. Higher scores indicate more prominent ASD symptoms.

    Measured: 18 weeks, immediately after the intervention

  7. The Learning, Social and Emotional Adaptation Questionnaire Short-Form (Primary) (LSEAQ-S(P))

    The LSEAQ-S(P) is a teacher report instrument measuring 53 essential adaptive behaviors for mainstream primary school students with ASD in Hong Kong. This questionnaire describes expected behaviors in school across three domains, namely, learning, social, and emotional adaptation, and an additional domain of restricted interests and repetitive behavior frequently observed in students with ASD. The questionnaire adopts four-point Likert scales for teachers to rate the frequency of the stated behavior observed in the previous month: 0 = the student never showed this behavior, 1 = the student showed this behavior less than half of the time,2= the student showed this behavior more than half of the time,3= the student nearly always showed this behavior.

    The restricted interests and repetitive behavior ratings were reverse-scored prior to analysis so that higher ratings indicated better adjustment in all domains. The minimum score for the scale is 0 and the maximum is 159.

    Measured: Before the intervention

  8. The Learning, Social and Emotional Adaptation Questionnaire Short-Form (Primary) (LSEAQ-S(P))

    The LSEAQ-S(P) is a teacher report instrument measuring 53 essential adaptive behaviors for mainstream primary school students with ASD in Hong Kong. This questionnaire describes expected behaviors in school across three domains, namely, learning, social, and emotional adaptation, and an additional domain of restricted interests and repetitive behavior frequently observed in students with ASD. The questionnaire adopts four-point Likert scales for teachers to rate the frequency of the stated behavior observed in the previous month: 0 = the student never showed this behavior, 1 = the student showed this behavior less than half of the time,2= the student showed this behavior more than half of the time,3= the student nearly always showed this behavior.

    The restricted interests and repetitive behavior ratings were reverse-scored prior to analysis so that higher ratings indicated better adjustment in all domains. The minimum score for the scale is 0 and the maximum is 159.

    Measured: 18 weeks, immediately after the intervention

  9. Parenting Stress Index 4-Short Form

    The Short Form features 36 items drawn from the full-length form divided into three domains (Parental Distress, Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction, and Difficult Child).Self-reported responses will be scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "1" (Strongly agree) to "5" (Strongly disagree). Subscale scores are calculated by summing the scores of relevant items. A total stress score is obtained by combining the three subscale scores. A higher score denoted higher level of parenting stress. The minimum total score for this scale is 36 and the maximum is 180.

    Measured: Before the intervention

  10. Parenting Stress Index 4-Short Form

    The Short Form features 36 items drawn from the full-length form divided into three domains (Parental Distress, Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction, and Difficult Child).Self-reported responses will be scored on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "1" (Strongly agree) to "5" (Strongly disagree). Subscale scores are calculated by summing the scores of relevant items. A total stress score is obtained by combining the three subscale scores. A higher score denoted higher level of parenting stress. The minimum total score for this scale is 36 and the maximum is 180.

    Measured: 18 weeks, immediately after the intervention

Timeline

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

  1. First posted16 Jan 2024
  2. Study start1 Feb 2024
  3. Primary completion13 Aug 2025
  4. Study completion13 Aug 2025

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
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Participants are assigned to treatment group and waitlist group in parallel for the duration of the study
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
85 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06206070
Sponsor's protocol ID
EA230386
Status last verified
Apr 2026
First submitted
4 Jan 2024
Last updated
4 Jun 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Wong, M., Lopes, A., Heriot, S., Brice, L., Carroll, L., Ratcliffe, B., & Dossetor, D. (2018). Westmead Feeling Program 2: Emotion-based Learning for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder without Accompanying Intellectual Impairment. Camberwell, VIC: ACER Press. Ratcliffe, B., Wong, M., Dossetor, D., & Hayes, S. (2014). Teaching social-emotional skills to school-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A treatment versus control trial in 41 mainstream schools. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 8(12), 1722-1733. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2014.09.010

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing The Hong Kong version of Westmead Feeling Program 2 in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, run by The University of Hong Kong at 1 site in Hong Kong.

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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Jun 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 Hong Kong. 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?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

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?

The Emotions Development Questionnaire - Parent Version (Hong Kong version) (time frame: Before the intervention). The study lists 10 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT06206070, 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 4 Jun 2026.

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