AutismNCT06255925
A Strength-Based Employment Maintenance Program for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum
A study testing KF-STRIDE® Into Work! in people with Autism, run by Kessler Foundation at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The investigators are looking to evaluate how effective a training program that focuses on character strengths may be in improving job maintenance skills in young adults. The investigators are examining the effects of this intervention in young adults who feel they would like to help in improving their satisfaction… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 14 to 26 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Autism
- What is being tested?
- KF-STRIDE® Into Work!
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Jan 2023to Jun 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 14 to 26 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- Lives in the United States of America
- Between the ages of 14-26
- Speaks English well and at a 4th grade reading level
Who cannot join
- Had a stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, or neurological injury or disease in the past(like brain tumor or epilepsy)
- Has a history of significant psychiatric illness(like schizophrenia or psychosis)
- Has uncontrolled seizures or other unstable medical complications
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Kessler Foundation
East Hanover, New Jersey, 07936
Helen Genova, Ph. D.
About this study
The investigators are looking to evaluate how effective a training program that focuses on character strengths may be in improving job maintenance skills in young adults. The investigators are examining the effects of this intervention in young adults who feel they would like to help in improving their satisfaction with work, and in keeping their jobs.
Read the detailed description
Individuals with autism possess employable and valuable strengths and abilities. Unfortunately, despite these strengths, individuals with autism experience challenges in obtaining and maintaining employment. Traditionally, the majority of interventions designed for autism (including those focused on employment) focus on remediating deficits, without harnessing the strengths of those with autism. This deficit-based approach (i.e. to fix what is deficient in a person with autism) has triggered increasing criticism and dissatisfaction from the autism community. A growing shift toward strength-based training tools represent a holistic approach to treatment of autistic individuals by acknowledging and using their strengths to improve outcomes. To date, no strength-based employment programs have been examined in individuals with autism. Thus, in the current project, the investigators aim to develop and test a strength-based employment program. At Kessler Foundation, the investigators have developed a strength-based training tool: Kessler Foundation Strength Identification and Expression (KF-STRIDE®) which targets job interview skills by teaching individuals with autism to identify and express their personal strengths to a future employer. In the current proposal, the investigators aim to adapt this program to specifically target job maintenance skills.
- Conditions
- Autism
- Being tested
- KF-STRIDE® Into Work!
- Keywords
- Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD
- Medical subject headings
- Autistic Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
KF-STRIDE® Into Work!Behavioural
Also called Kessler Foundation Strength Identification and Expression
Treatment group will receive 10 web based sessions of a strength-based training tool(once or twice a week). Sessions are approximately 60 minutes long.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment Group | Experimental | In this arm, participants would participate in in an intervention program that uses character strengths to improve job maintenance skills in young adults. Receives: Behavioral: KF-STRIDE® Into Work! |
| Control Group | No intervention | In this arm, participants are services as usual and will participate in their regular activities. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Parent Report Employment Questionnaire
Consists of questions answered by parents regarding employment difficulties in their children . Questions of employment valued by yes or no, with yes being valued higher. And amount of hours worked from 0-40, with higher score indicating a better outcome.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Work Self-Efficacy Scale
10 items, scores range from 10-50 with higher scores indicating perceived work capability.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Strengths Self-Efficacy Scale
Measures the level of one's confidence in her/his ability to practice and apply her/his strengths. 34 items, scores range from 0-340
Measured: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Strengths Knowledge and Strengths Use Scale(SKUS)
Measure to assess knowledge and use of one's strengths and measure changes following strengths-based interventions. Two scores: Strengths Use and Strengths Knowledge. Strengths Use values range from 14-98, with higher score indicating a better outcome. Strengths Knowledge values range from 8-56, with higher score indicating a better outcome.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Flourishing(FS)
Measure of well-being and "flourishing". Values range from 8-56, with higher score indicating a better outcome.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Patients Global Impression of Change
Measure of perception of intervention resulting in meaningful change for a participant's life. 6 Items, with higher score indicating effectiveness of positive change.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Intervention Effectiveness From Participant Point
Measure of perception of intervention resulting in meaningful change for a participant's life. 15 Items, with higher score indicating effectiveness of positive change.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Secondary outcomes (8)
Minnesota Work Satisfaction
20 item part 1, scores range from 20-100. Measure of present job satisfaction, with higher scores indicating higher job satisfaction. 8 item part 2 with open-ended questions, there is no maximum or minimum.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Job search
12 item, 0-60 with the higher score indicating the greater level of job search behaviors.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Search for Work Self-Efficacy Scale
12 items, scores range from 12-60. Items concern one's perception of their capability to select among job offers, to build strategies for the attainment of a goal, to respect other people's competences, and to work with new members, to manage time difficulties, and stressful situations typical of job searches, to consider a failure a challenge rather than a problem.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Connor- Davidson Resilience Scale(CD-RISC)
10 items, scores range from 0 to 40. Lower scores indicate less resilience and higher scores indicate greater resilience.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Voicemail Elicitation Task(VET)/ Email Elicitation Task(EET)
Measures how individuals respond to social situations using politeness/impoliteness. Values are calculated by dividing the total number of politeness markers by the total time in minutes, with a higher score indicating a better outcome. There are no minimum or maximum values for this test.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Work Chat Assessment
Measure of work place appropriate behavior. Participants interact with a virtual human avatar in various scenarios. Higher scores indicate more appropriate work place behavior. Minimum of 0 and Maximum of 100.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale(RSES)
Self-report self-esteem questionnaire. Values range from 10-40, with higher score indicating better outcome.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Twenty Statements Task
20-item questionnaire used to measure an individual's self concept filling out the twenty items that each start with the words "I am..." which will be analyzed for positive and negative valence, with higher score indicating a better outcome. There is no maximum or minimum value for this test.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Feb 2024
- Study start1 Jan 2023
- Primary completion1 Jan 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionJun 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for AutismStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Single group
- Model description
- Kessler Foundation Strength Identification and Expression (KF-STRIDE® Into Work!)
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Kessler Foundation
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Helen Genova, Ph. D., Principal investigator, Kessler Foundation
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06255925
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- E-1199-22
- Status last verified
- Mar 2025
- First submitted
- 16 Jan 2024
- Last updated
- 10 Mar 2025
- Results posted
- No
- 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 10 Mar 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Strength-Based Employment Maintenance Program for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06255925
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- E-1199-22
- Conditions
- Autism
- Keywords
- Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Kessler FoundationUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jan 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jan 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jun 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 13 Feb 2024 (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 investigators are looking to evaluate how effective a training program that focuses on character strengths may be in improving job maintenance skills in young adults. The investigators are examining the effects of this intervention in young adults who feel they would like to help in improving their satisfaction with work, and in keeping their jobs.
Detailed description
Individuals with autism possess employable and valuable strengths and abilities. Unfortunately, despite these strengths, individuals with autism experience challenges in obtaining and maintaining employment. Traditionally, the majority of interventions designed for autism (including those focused on employment) focus on remediating deficits, without harnessing the strengths of those with autism. This deficit-based approach (i.e. to fix what is deficient in a person with autism) has triggered increasing criticism and dissatisfaction from the autism community. A growing shift toward strength-based training tools represent a holistic approach to treatment of autistic individuals by acknowledging and using their strengths to improve outcomes. To date, no strength-based employment programs have been examined in individuals with autism. Thus, in the current project, the investigators aim to develop and test a strength-based employment program. At Kessler Foundation, the investigators have developed a strength-based training tool: Kessler Foundation Strength Identification and Expression (KF-STRIDE®) which targets job interview skills by teaching individuals with autism to identify and express their personal strengths to a future employer. In the current proposal, the investigators aim to adapt this program to specifically target job maintenance skills.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Kessler Foundation Strength Identification and Expression (KF-STRIDE® Into Work!)
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment Group | Experimental | Behavioral: KF-STRIDE® Into Work!In this arm, participants would participate in in an intervention program that uses character strengths to improve job maintenance skills in young adults. |
| Control Group | No intervention | –In this arm, participants are services as usual and will participate in their regular activities. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 14 to 26 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Lives in the United States of America
- Between the ages of 14-26
- Speaks English well and at a 4th grade reading level
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Had a stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, or neurological injury or disease in the past(like brain tumor or epilepsy)
- Has a history of significant psychiatric illness(like schizophrenia or psychosis)
- Has uncontrolled seizures or other unstable medical complications
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 |
|---|---|---|
| KF-STRIDE® Into Work!Also: Kessler Foundation Strength Identification and ExpressionTreatment group will receive 10 web based sessions of a strength-based training tool(once or twice a week). Sessions are approximately 60 minutes long. | Behavioural | Treatment Group |
Primary outcome
Parent Report Employment Questionnaire
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Consists of questions answered by parents regarding employment difficulties in their children . Questions of employment valued by yes or no, with yes being valued higher. And amount of hours worked from 0-40, with higher score indicating a better outcome.
Work Self-Efficacy Scale
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
10 items, scores range from 10-50 with higher scores indicating perceived work capability.
Strengths Self-Efficacy Scale
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Measures the level of one's confidence in her/his ability to practice and apply her/his strengths. 34 items, scores range from 0-340
Strengths Knowledge and Strengths Use Scale(SKUS)
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Measure to assess knowledge and use of one's strengths and measure changes following strengths-based interventions. Two scores: Strengths Use and Strengths Knowledge. Strengths Use values range from 14-98, with higher score indicating a better outcome. Strengths Knowledge values range from 8-56, with higher score indicating a better outcome.
Flourishing(FS)
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Measure of well-being and "flourishing". Values range from 8-56, with higher score indicating a better outcome.
Patients Global Impression of Change
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Measure of perception of intervention resulting in meaningful change for a participant's life. 6 Items, with higher score indicating effectiveness of positive change.
Intervention Effectiveness From Participant Point
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Measure of perception of intervention resulting in meaningful change for a participant's life. 15 Items, with higher score indicating effectiveness of positive change.
8 secondary outcomes
Minnesota Work Satisfaction
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Job search
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Search for Work Self-Efficacy Scale
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Connor- Davidson Resilience Scale(CD-RISC)
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Voicemail Elicitation Task(VET)/ Email Elicitation Task(EET)
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Work Chat Assessment
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale(RSES)
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
Twenty Statements Task
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8
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 10 Mar 2025.
- 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.
Helen Genova, Ph. D. principal investigator
Kessler Foundation
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing KF-STRIDE® Into Work! in people with Autism, run by Kessler Foundation at 1 site 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 10 Mar 2025. 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 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?
Contact Helen Genova, Ph. D. (973-324-8390, hgenova@kesslerfoundation.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Parent Report Employment Questionnaire (time frame: Baseline, Immediate Post-test between weeks 7 and 8). The study lists 7 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 10 Mar 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 30 Oct 2026.