Outcomes of Emotion Regulation Therapy in Young Autistic Adults

Outcomes and Neural Mechanisms of Emotion Regulation Therapy in Young Adults With Autism: A Pilot Feasibility Study

Status

UNKNOWN

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT05341505

Enrollment

Registered

2022-04-22

Start date

2022-07-15

Completion date

2023-01-30

Last updated

2022-10-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Autism

Keywords

Emotion regulation

Brief summary

This pilot study is designed to investigate the clinical outcomes and neural mechanisms of emotion regulation behavioral treatment , in a small sample of young adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

Detailed description

Five young adults with ASD with emotional/behavioral challenges that are attributed to emotion dysregulation will be enrolled into an emotion regulation (ER) intervention administered twice weekly for a total of 16 sessions. Participants will be evaluated pre- and post-treatment using behavioral and imaging measures, and at mid-treatment and 2-month follow-up using behavioral measures administered electronically and/or via phone interview.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALEmotion Regulation Intervention

We will administer a cognitive-behavioral treatment targeting emotion dysregulation, including mindfulness skills and other cognitive and behavioral emotion regulation skills.

Study design

Allocation

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 40 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder * Ages 18-40 * Estimated full-scale IQ ≥ 80 * T score \> 60 on either the externalizing or internalizing symptoms scores of either the Adult Behavior Checklist (ABC-L) or the Adult Self Report (ASR) * Participation in previous study at the Olin Center (Social Emotional Study; E-HHC- 2018-0241)

Exclusion criteria

* Intellectual disability (estimated full scale IQ\<80 * History of a significant head injury (severe concussion, hospitalization) * History of neurosurgery * History of epilepsy, stroke, MS, a neurodegenerative disorder, or any other neurological disorder * A current major medical condition (e.g. cancer, heart failure) * Current substance use (determined by urine screen done to all participants before each MRI scan) * In-body metal implants (e.g. surgical clips, certain pacemakers) or history of exposure to metal shards or other MRI contraindications * Pregnancy

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Adult Self Report (ASR)	Baseline	Externalizing and internalizing composite scores
Adult Behavior Checklist (ABC-L)	Baseline	Externalizing and internalizing composite scores

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026