AutismNCT06323850
Improving Access to Community-Based Occupations Via a Rideshare Training Program
A study testing Intervention Phase, Virtual Training Sessions and Ride-Along Training Sessions in people with Autism, run by Virginia Commonwealth University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Community mobility is critical for living independently and engaging in one's community. It is especially important for people in their early adult years, as this is often a time of transition to employment and living independently. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Autism
- What is being tested?
- Intervention Phase, Virtual Training Sessions and Ride-Along Training Sessions
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 13 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 6 May 2024to 11 Nov 2024
- 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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- study participants have to be 18+ years of age
- living within 100 miles of Richmond, Virginia
- Participants have to have diagnosis of ASD given by a licensed medical professional.
- Participants need to have a stable internet connection
- ability to communicate independently (verbally or via alternative communication device) in English
- have the motoric skills needed to independently use a smartphone (fine motor) and get in and out of a car (gross motor).
- Participants must own a smartphone and be familiar with texting and/or email.
Who cannot join
- participants who have a severe or profound intellectual disability (IQ below 35) given that the training was designed for those with moderate IQ and above with the potential to travel alone to familiar places
- exclude any individual who already uses Rideshare independently.
- exclude pregnant women.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia, 23298
About this study
Official title: Improving Access to Community-Based Occupations Via a Rideshare Training Progra
Community mobility is critical for living independently and engaging in one's community. It is especially important for people in their early adult years, as this is often a time of transition to employment and living independently. Community mobility can be particularly challenging for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) (henceforth referred to as autistic adults based on the preferred identity-first language of our autistic partners). Some autistic adults are unable to meet the demands of driving. Public transportation is an option for autistic adults; and autistic adults are more likely to use public transportation than their non-autistic counterparts. However, using public transportation may be just as challenging as driving for the autistic population. Rideshare (also called ride-hailing) is a relatively new form of transportation in which passengers get from point A to point B in private vehicles driven by their owners. A digital app, usually accessed on a smartphone, matches passengers and drivers, coordinates routes using a GPS system, and facilitates payment through a linked financial account. Rideshare has the potential to address many of the issues autistic adults have accessing the community. It is faster and more direct than the public train or bus, there is limited social interaction required, and rides can be scheduled at any time. Despite it's potential to increase transportation in autistic adults, there are no evidence-based training programs to support Rideshare use in this population.
Read the detailed description
Rideshare services are widely adopted across the globe and provide a safer, more flexible, and less taxing transportation option for many individuals. Rideshare can help people to get to more places they want to go and allows for spontaneity since a ride can be arranged in the moment, at any time of day. Rideshare picks passengers up and drops them off at their specific destination, eliminating the need to walk to bus stops, wait at stations, or transfer to more than one bus or train. Not only does this save time, it may increase safety especially at night or during inclement weather. Rideshare may also be more reliable for getting to work on time. Finally, while communicating with the driver may be a challenge, there is only one person with which to interact versus potentially many people waiting at stations or on the bus or train.
While the use of Rideshare has the potential to improve community access and expand occupational engagement for autistic adults, few training resources exist to introduce clients to this mode of transportation, assess readiness, or build confidence. Our Rideshare training program has proven feasible to conduct with autistic adults living in an urban-based semi-structured independent housing residence. This study will test the effectiveness and implementation of the SRP program in a wider range of autistic adults living in the central Virginia region
- Conditions
- Autism
- Being tested
- Intervention Phase, Virtual Training Sessions, Ride-Along Training Sessions
- Keywords
- Community Mobility, Rideshare
- Medical subject headings
- Autistic Disorder
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Intervention PhaseBehavioural
After participants have been enrolled, they will be assigned to one of the trainer-pairs and will work with them to schedule the first two sessions. Most clients will be able to schedule one virtual session per week and one ride along session per week for the first five weeks, with the remaining three weeks allotted to practice ride-along sessions and module repetition (as needed). The additional time also provides a buffer if subjects are unavailable for a week during the intervention phase.
Virtual Training SessionsBehavioural
Virtual sessions will take place over Zoom each session lasting 20-30 minutes. Each of the five virtual sessions will be aligned with the five online modules. For each module, exercises are built in to test comprehension. If the participant does not complete an exercise accurately, the lead trainer will explain why the response was incorrect and prompt them to repeat the video modeling exercise. The support training partner will take notes to support the formative assessment process and complete fidelity checks.
Ride-Along Training SessionsBehavioural
The first ride-along session will be the baseline session for assessing level of independence (number of cues needed) and safety. The participant will have up to 8 ride-along sessions to reach full independence (no cues needed) and full marks on the safety assessment. The lead trainer will provide the cues as needed to complete each step of the Rideshare process.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental Group | Experimental | The experimental group will receive the intervention then a 2-month follow-up Receives: Behavioral: Intervention Phase; Behavioral: Virtual Training Sessions; Behavioral: Ride-Along Training Sessions |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Evaluate autistic adults participating in the SRP intervention find the intervention acceptable?
Autistic adults participating in the SRP will rate 75% of the items on the Acceptability Intervention Measure (AIM) as Agree or Completely Agree. The AIM is a 5-item scale that measures the perception among implementation stakeholders that a given treatment, service, practice, or innovation is agreeable, palatable, or satisfactory. Acceptability refers to determining how well an intervention will be received by the target population and the extent to which the new intervention or its components might meet the needs of the target population and organizational setting.
Measured: Baseline and after phase 1 (5 weeks)
Evaluate if the trainers conducting the SRP intervention find the intervention to be appropriate
Trainers conducting the SRP intervention will rate 75% of the items on the Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM) as Agree or Completely Agree. The AIM is a 5-item scale that measures the perception among implementation stakeholders that a given treatment, service, practice, or innovation is agreeable, palatable, or satisfactory. Acceptability refers to determining how well an intervention will be received by the target population and the extent to which the new intervention or its components might meet the needs of the target population and organizational setting.
Measured: Baseline and after phase 1 (5 weeks)
Autistic adults who have participated in the SRP program display greater independence in using Rideshare
Autistic adult who have participated in the SRP program will display greater independence in using Rideshare
Measured: Baseline and after phase 1 (5 weeks)
Autistic adults who have participated in the SRP program display greater safety in using Rideshare
Autistic adult who have participated in the SRP program will display greater safety when using Rideshare
Measured: Baseline and after phase 1 (5 weeks)
Secondary outcomes (1)
How do SRP participants use of Rideshare for community, social, and/or employment activities after the intervention
This is an exploratory research question and the investigators will use descriptive statistics and visual analyses to look at trends in how Rideshare is used after participation in the SRP program. The investigators will also gather qualitative data through post-intervention interviews with participants to help determine the impact of the program and what improvements are needed.
Measured: Baseline and after phase 1 (5 weeks) and 3 months post intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted21 Mar 2024
- Study start6 May 2024
- Primary completion11 Nov 2024
- Study completion11 Nov 2024
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
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- Single group, pre- and post-test. Subjects were measured 8 times during intervention stage and 8 times during the follow-up stage.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 13 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Organization for Autism Research
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Stacey Reynolds, Principal investigator, Virginia Commonwealth University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06323850
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HM20028878
- Status last verified
- Nov 2025
- First submitted
- 6 Feb 2024
- Last updated
- 21 Nov 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 21 Nov 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Improving Access to Community-Based Occupations Via a Rideshare Training Progra
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06323850
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HM20028878
- Conditions
- Autism
- Keywords
- Community Mobility, Rideshare
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 13 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Virginia Commonwealth UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Organization for Autism Research
- Study start
- 6 May 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 11 Nov 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 11 Nov 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 21 Mar 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.
Community mobility is critical for living independently and engaging in one's community. It is especially important for people in their early adult years, as this is often a time of transition to employment and living independently. Community mobility can be particularly challenging for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) (henceforth referred to as autistic adults based on the preferred identity-first language of our autistic partners). Some autistic adults are unable to meet the demands of driving. Public transportation is an option for autistic adults; and autistic adults are more likely to use public transportation than their non-autistic counterparts. However, using public transportation may be just as challenging as driving for the autistic population. Rideshare (also called ride-hailing) is a relatively new form of transportation in which passengers get from point A to point B in private vehicles driven by their owners. A digital app, usually accessed on a smartphone, matches passengers and drivers, coordinates routes using a GPS system, and facilitates payment through a linked financial account. Rideshare has the potential to address many of the issues autistic adults have accessing the community. It is faster and more direct than the public train or bus, there is limited social interaction required, and rides can be scheduled at any time. Despite it's potential to increase transportation in autistic adults, there are no evidence-based training programs to support Rideshare use in this population.
Detailed description
Rideshare services are widely adopted across the globe and provide a safer, more flexible, and less taxing transportation option for many individuals. Rideshare can help people to get to more places they want to go and allows for spontaneity since a ride can be arranged in the moment, at any time of day. Rideshare picks passengers up and drops them off at their specific destination, eliminating the need to walk to bus stops, wait at stations, or transfer to more than one bus or train. Not only does this save time, it may increase safety especially at night or during inclement weather. Rideshare may also be more reliable for getting to work on time. Finally, while communicating with the driver may be a challenge, there is only one person with which to interact versus potentially many people waiting at stations or on the bus or train.
While the use of Rideshare has the potential to improve community access and expand occupational engagement for autistic adults, few training resources exist to introduce clients to this mode of transportation, assess readiness, or build confidence. Our Rideshare training program has proven feasible to conduct with autistic adults living in an urban-based semi-structured independent housing residence. This study will test the effectiveness and implementation of the SRP program in a wider range of autistic adults living in the central Virginia region
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- Single group, pre- and post-test. Subjects were measured 8 times during intervention stage and 8 times during the follow-up stage.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental Group | Experimental | Behavioral: Intervention Phase, Behavioral: Virtual Training Sessions, Behavioral: Ride-Along Training SessionsThe experimental group will receive the intervention then a 2-month follow-up |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- study participants have to be 18+ years of age
- living within 100 miles of Richmond, Virginia
- Participants have to have diagnosis of ASD given by a licensed medical professional.
- Participants need to have a stable internet connection
- ability to communicate independently (verbally or via alternative communication device) in English
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- participants who have a severe or profound intellectual disability (IQ below 35) given that the training was designed for those with moderate IQ and above with the potential to travel alone to familiar places
- exclude any individual who already uses Rideshare independently.
- exclude pregnant women.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention PhaseAfter participants have been enrolled, they will be assigned to one of the trainer-pairs and will work with them to schedule the first two sessions. Most clients will be able to schedule one virtual session per week and one ride along session per week for the first five weeks, with the remaining three weeks allotted to practice ride-along sessions and module repetition (as needed). The additional time also provides a buffer if subjects are unavailable for a week during the intervention phase. | Behavioural | Experimental Group |
| Virtual Training SessionsVirtual sessions will take place over Zoom each session lasting 20-30 minutes. Each of the five virtual sessions will be aligned with the five online modules. For each module, exercises are built in to test comprehension. If the participant does not complete an exercise accurately, the lead trainer will explain why the response was incorrect and prompt them to repeat the video modeling exercise. The support training partner will take notes to support the formative assessment process and complete fidelity checks. | Behavioural | Experimental Group |
| Ride-Along Training SessionsThe first ride-along session will be the baseline session for assessing level of independence (number of cues needed) and safety. The participant will have up to 8 ride-along sessions to reach full independence (no cues needed) and full marks on the safety assessment. The lead trainer will provide the cues as needed to complete each step of the Rideshare process. | Behavioural | Experimental Group |
Primary outcome
Evaluate autistic adults participating in the SRP intervention find the intervention acceptable?
Time frame: Baseline and after phase 1 (5 weeks)
Autistic adults participating in the SRP will rate 75% of the items on the Acceptability Intervention Measure (AIM) as Agree or Completely Agree. The AIM is a 5-item scale that measures the perception among implementation stakeholders that a given treatment, service, practice, or innovation is agreeable, palatable, or satisfactory. Acceptability refers to determining how well an intervention will be received by the target population and the extent to which the new intervention or its components might meet the needs of the target population and organizational setting.
Evaluate if the trainers conducting the SRP intervention find the intervention to be appropriate
Time frame: Baseline and after phase 1 (5 weeks)
Trainers conducting the SRP intervention will rate 75% of the items on the Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM) as Agree or Completely Agree. The AIM is a 5-item scale that measures the perception among implementation stakeholders that a given treatment, service, practice, or innovation is agreeable, palatable, or satisfactory. Acceptability refers to determining how well an intervention will be received by the target population and the extent to which the new intervention or its components might meet the needs of the target population and organizational setting.
Autistic adults who have participated in the SRP program display greater independence in using Rideshare
Time frame: Baseline and after phase 1 (5 weeks)
Autistic adult who have participated in the SRP program will display greater independence in using Rideshare
Autistic adults who have participated in the SRP program display greater safety in using Rideshare
Time frame: Baseline and after phase 1 (5 weeks)
Autistic adult who have participated in the SRP program will display greater safety when using Rideshare
1 secondary outcome
How do SRP participants use of Rideshare for community, social, and/or employment activities after the intervention
Time frame: Baseline and after phase 1 (5 weeks) and 3 months post intervention
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 21 Nov 2025.
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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. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Stacey Reynolds principal investigator
Virginia Commonwealth University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Intervention Phase, Virtual Training Sessions and Ride-Along Training Sessions in people with Autism, run by Virginia Commonwealth University 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 7 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 21 Nov 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?
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?
Evaluate autistic adults participating in the SRP intervention find the intervention acceptable? (time frame: Baseline and after phase 1 (5 weeks)). The study lists 4 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 21 Nov 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 28 Oct 2026.