Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)NCT06921876
Autistic Eye Contact?
An observational study of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Neurotypical, run by UMC Utrecht at 1 site in Netherlands.
Trial summary
This research explored both breadth and depth of the experiences with eye contact in adults with and without ASD. A hermeneutic phenomenological multicenter design was used in which 15 adults with ASD and 15 adults without ASD were interviewed, using semi-structured interviews. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Neurotypical
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteNetherlands
- Study dates
- 3 Jun 2024to 30 Sep 2024
- How long will I take part?
- 1 Year
- Phase
- Observational
- 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 to 65 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: The Netherlands
Who may be able to join
- Diagnosed with autism according to an internationally recognized classification system
- Receiving outpatient treatment at a specialized autism center in the Netherlands
- Being able to understand the themes to be discussed
- Motivation to participate in the research
- Being able to understand the themes to be discussed
- Motivation to participate in the research
Who cannot join
- Insufficient command of the Dutch language
- Use of alcohol and/or recreational drugs during the study
- Too much mental instability to participate in the study
- Familiarity with treatment in intellectual disability care
- Adults without autism
- Insufficient command of the Dutch language
Show all 9Show fewer
- Use of alcohol and/or recreational drugs during the study
- Too much mental instability to participate in the study
- Familiarity with treatment in intellectual disability care
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Autistic Eye Contact? A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Multicenter Study on Experiences With Eye Contact Between Adults With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder With Use of Semi-structured Interviews. Using Semi-structured Interviews, the Experiences of People With and Without Autism Regarding Eye Contact Were Made Clear. The Topic List for These Semi-structured Interviews Was Developed in Co-design With People With Autism.
This research explored both breadth and depth of the experiences with eye contact in adults with and without ASD. A hermeneutic phenomenological multicenter design was used in which 15 adults with ASD and 15 adults without ASD were interviewed, using semi-structured interviews. Analyses using Multisite Qualitative Analysis (MSQA) and PRICE-model for saturation.
Read the detailed description
This study aimed to examine the subjective eye contact experiences of adults with ASD compared to adults without ASD. Factors such as beliefs about the phenomenon, problems because of eye contact, development in eye contact, interpretations of others and more were explored.
To get insight in the subjective eye contact experiences of adults with ASD compared to adults without ASD, a hermeneutic phenomenological design using Multisite Qualitative Analysis (MSQA) and the PRICE-model for saturation during data analysis were used. MSQA enables the highest qualitative accuracy, the gathering of rich context-specific insights and maximizing the applicability. Semi-structured interviews was chosen for data collection and analysis because adults with ASD attach importance to on the one hand having the space to share their experiences in their own way, but on the other hand need frameworks to know what is asked of them. Hermeneutic phenomenological approach, grounded in philosophical concepts developed by Heidegger and Gadamer, made it possible to create meaning on how people experience a situation or phenomenon, such as eye contact, in a flexible and practical way.
Multisite design was chosen in response to criticism that single-site findings would limit the relevance and transferability and reliability to other settings. The Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies (COREQ) checklist was used for reporting the research data. For the checklist. In addition, the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) checklist was used. The research design was developed in collaboration with three adults with ASD and three adults without ASD, in order to include relevant information from the perspective of the target groups.
The semi-structured interviews were conducted using a topic list. This topic list consisted of the following sub questions:
Meaning:
- What do you think is the meaning of the term eye contact?
- In your opinion, are there different ways of making eye contact? If so, which?
- What do you think about the opinion that eye contact is abnormal in autism?
Development:
- Was the subject of eye contact brought up in your youth? If so, how?
- Did you learn how to make eye contact?
- Does your experiences with eye contact influenced how you lived your life? How?
Initiative to eye contact:
- Does it matter to you how others make eye contact with you? Why?
- Does the way you make eye contact with others depend on the situation or the person? Why?
- Do you adjust your eye contact to situations and/or people?
Interpretation of eye contact:
- Are there for you different ways of having eye contact? Which one?
- Are there for you different meanings of eye contact? Which one?
Dealing with eye contact:
- How do you make eye contact when interacting with others? Does that happen automatically?
- Do you consciously think about having eye contact? How come?
- How do you experience having eye contact with others? How come?
Wishes:
Would you like your eye contact with others to be different?/Do you need to improve the eye contact you have with others? If not, why? If so, why?
- Conditions
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Neurotypical
- Keywords
- Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD, Neurotypical, Eye contact, Experience, Qualitative research
- 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.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Autism | The group of adults with ASD consisted of participants who were receiving outpatient treatment at one of three specialized centers for ASD, located in Deventer, Rotterdam or Amsterdam in the Netherlands. | |
| Neurotypicals | The group of adults without ASD consisted of participants who were never diagnosed with autism and lived in the Netherlands. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Experiences with eye contact with use of semi-structured interviews
The subjective eye contact experiences of adults with ASD compared to adults without ASD, using semi-structured interviews
Measured: June to September 2024
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Apr 2025
- Study start3 Jun 2024
- Primary completion30 Sep 2024
- Study completion30 Sep 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)Studies 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
- Observational
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
- Target duration
- 1 Year
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- UMC Utrecht
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Dimence Groep
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Jos Boer, UMC Utrecht
- Investigators
- Nynke Boonstra, Professor, Study chair, UMC Utrecht
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06921876
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 55990
- Other IDs
- Dimence Groep
- Status last verified
- Mar 2025
- First submitted
- 28 Mar 2025
- Last updated
- 10 Apr 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: On request.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 10 Apr 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Autistic Eye Contact? A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Multicenter Study on Experiences With Eye Contact Between Adults With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder With Use of Semi-structured Interviews. Using Semi-structured Interviews, the Experiences of People With and Without Autism Regarding Eye Contact Were Made Clear. The Topic List for These Semi-structured Interviews Was Developed in Co-design With People With Autism.
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06921876
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 55990
- Conditions
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Neurotypical
- Keywords
- Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD, Neurotypical, Eye contact, Experience, Qualitative research
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- UMC UtrechtUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Dimence Groep
- Study start
- 3 Jun 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Sep 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Sep 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 10 Apr 2025 (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.
This research explored both breadth and depth of the experiences with eye contact in adults with and without ASD. A hermeneutic phenomenological multicenter design was used in which 15 adults with ASD and 15 adults without ASD were interviewed, using semi-structured interviews. Analyses using Multisite Qualitative Analysis (MSQA) and PRICE-model for saturation.
Detailed description
This study aimed to examine the subjective eye contact experiences of adults with ASD compared to adults without ASD. Factors such as beliefs about the phenomenon, problems because of eye contact, development in eye contact, interpretations of others and more were explored.
To get insight in the subjective eye contact experiences of adults with ASD compared to adults without ASD, a hermeneutic phenomenological design using Multisite Qualitative Analysis (MSQA) and the PRICE-model for saturation during data analysis were used. MSQA enables the highest qualitative accuracy, the gathering of rich context-specific insights and maximizing the applicability. Semi-structured interviews was chosen for data collection and analysis because adults with ASD attach importance to on the one hand having the space to share their experiences in their own way, but on the other hand need frameworks to know what is asked of them. Hermeneutic phenomenological approach, grounded in philosophical concepts developed by Heidegger and Gadamer, made it possible to create meaning on how people experience a situation or phenomenon, such as eye contact, in a flexible and practical way.
Multisite design was chosen in response to criticism that single-site findings would limit the relevance and transferability and reliability to other settings. The Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies (COREQ) checklist was used for reporting the research data. For the checklist. In addition, the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) checklist was used. The research design was developed in collaboration with three adults with ASD and three adults without ASD, in order to include relevant information from the perspective of the target groups.
The semi-structured interviews were conducted using a topic list. This topic list consisted of the following sub questions:
Meaning:
- What do you think is the meaning of the term eye contact?
- In your opinion, are there different ways of making eye contact? If so, which?
- What do you think about the opinion that eye contact is abnormal in autism?
Development:
- Was the subject of eye contact brought up in your youth? If so, how?
- Did you learn how to make eye contact?
- Does your experiences with eye contact influenced how you lived your life? How?
Initiative to eye contact:
- Does it matter to you how others make eye contact with you? Why?
- Does the way you make eye contact with others depend on the situation or the person? Why?
- Do you adjust your eye contact to situations and/or people?
Interpretation of eye contact:
- Are there for you different ways of having eye contact? Which one?
- Are there for you different meanings of eye contact? Which one?
Dealing with eye contact:
- How do you make eye contact when interacting with others? Does that happen automatically?
- Do you consciously think about having eye contact? How come?
- How do you experience having eye contact with others? How come?
Wishes:
Would you like your eye contact with others to be different?/Do you need to improve the eye contact you have with others? If not, why? If so, why?
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Target follow-up
- 1 Year
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Autism | – | –The group of adults with ASD consisted of participants who were receiving outpatient treatment at one of three specialized centers for ASD, located in Deventer, Rotterdam or Amsterdam in the Netherlands. |
| Neurotypicals | – | –The group of adults without ASD consisted of participants who were never diagnosed with autism and lived in the Netherlands. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- The Netherlands
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Diagnosed with autism according to an internationally recognized classification system
- Receiving outpatient treatment at a specialized autism center in the Netherlands
- Being able to understand the themes to be discussed
- Motivation to participate in the research
- Being able to understand the themes to be discussed
Key exclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Insufficient command of the Dutch language
- Use of alcohol and/or recreational drugs during the study
- Too much mental instability to participate in the study
- Familiarity with treatment in intellectual disability care
- Adults without autism
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Experiences with eye contact with use of semi-structured interviews
Time frame: June to September 2024
The subjective eye contact experiences of adults with ASD compared to adults without ASD, using semi-structured interviews
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 10 Apr 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. On request.
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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.
Nynke Boonstra, Professor study chair
UMC Utrecht
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Neurotypical, run by UMC Utrecht at 1 site in Netherlands.
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 6 inclusion and 9 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 10 Apr 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 Netherlands. 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?
Experiences with eye contact with use of semi-structured interviews (time frame: June to September 2024). 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 Apr 2025.