NCT04349644Completed
Enhancing Social Competence in Adults With Autism
Enhancing Social Competence in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot RCT
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 29 Jan 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
SENSE Theatre®, combines several well-documented, effective behavioral strategies, such as the inclusion of trained peer models, theatre play techniques involving predictable (i.e., scripted) and flexible (improvised) role-play, and repeated performance of newly learned skills resulting in greater automaticity of behavior. The intervention has the potential to enhance social cognition and behavior in adults with autism spectrum disorder.
- Status (registry)
- Completed
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 72 (actual)
- First submitted
- 14 Apr 2020
- Start date
- 21 Oct 2020
- Primary completion date
- 15 Mar 2024
- Lead sponsor
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Diseases
- Autism
- NCT number
- NCT04349644
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Participants enrolled: 72
- From 21 Oct 2020 to the primary completion date, 15 Mar 2024
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Criteria the registry did not label
- ASD Inclusion Criteria:
- diagnosed with ASD based on DSM-V criteria (APA, 2013), by a psychologist, pediatrician or psychiatrist with expertise in ASD will be enrolled. ASD diagnosis will be corroborated by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) (Lord, 2012).
- Only adults not currently supported by educational opportunities will be enrolled.
- Participants must have a full-scale IQ \> or = 70 (WASI; (Wechsler, 2011))
- ASD Exclusion Criteria:
- Adults with intellectual impairment (WASI; (Wechsler, 2011) score \< 70.
- Participants with current, frequent and uncontrolled aggression toward other persons or property in the past 6 months will be excluded based on phone screening and questions from the Adult Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 2001) (e.g., "Physically attacks people").
- Participants with evidence of suicidality based on care-provider report, self-report, or clinical interview (i.e., endorsement of suicidal ideation in the past month and/or suicidal behavior in the past three months on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (Posner, 2011),
- Previous SENSE Theatre® participants will be excluded.
- Care-giver Inclusion Criteria:
- must be at least 18 years of age
- must be a parent, close relative, or spouse of the adult participant with ASD.
- must be able to provide current and historical observations of the functioning of the participant with ASD.
- must live in close proximity to and have frequent contact with the participant with ASD.
- Care-giver Exclusion Criteria:
- \- Anyone not meeting inclusion criteria.
- Confederates Inclusion Criteria:
- must be at least 18 years of age
- typically developing individual with no neurodevelopmental disorder.
- must successfully complete training and demonstrate consistent administration of research protocols.
- Confederate Exclusion Criteria:
- \- Anyone not meeting inclusion criteria.
- Peers Inclusion Criteria:
- must be at least 18 years of age
- typically developing individual with no neurodevelopmental disorder.
- must have an expressed interest in supporting young adults and adults with developmental disabilities or ASD
- must successfully complete SENSE Theatre® training.
- Peers Exclusion Criteria:
- \- Anyone not meeting inclusion criteria.
Age in the registry: 18 years to 35 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Nashville | United States | Unknown status |
Related publications
- Social Adaptation to Change in Peer Behavior Before and After a Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial of a Theatre-Based Intervention for Adults With Autism.J Autism Dev Disord · 2026 · PMID 42043633
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.