Comparing Two Emotion Therapies for Autistic Youth and Young Adults

This study is comparing two different types of therapy for autistic youth and young adults (ages 10-30) who experience difficulties with their emotions. One therapy is called The Emotion Awareness and Skills Enhancement Program (EASE), which was created specifically for autistic individuals. The other is The Unified Protocol (UP), a widely used therapy that can be adjusted for different needs. Researchers want to see if EASE is more effective than UP at helping autistic people manage their emotions. To join, you need a professional diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and a certain score on an emotion regulation questionnaire. The study aims to enroll 470 participants and is currently unclear on its recruitment status.

Study design
This study is an interventional trial comparing two different therapies. It plans to enroll 470 participants, with clinics randomized to use either EASE or UP.
What's involved
You would participate in 16 therapy sessions over an average of 16-20 weeks. You would also complete questionnaires at the beginning, midway, after treatment, and three months later.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Participants will be followed for three months after completing treatment.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT06158581

Comparing Two Different Emotion Therapies for Autistic Youth and Young Adults

Recruiting
NAAges 10–30InterventionalTreatment
University of Pittsburgh
~470 participants
Updated 2026-04-13 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:The Emotion Awareness and Skills Enhancement ProgramThe Unified Protocol

At a glance

Recruiting sites
2 of 2 listed sites are recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Emotion Dysregulation Inventory
Measured over Baseline, Midpoint (after completing 8 sessions), Post treatment (after all 16 sessions, average 16-20 weeks), 3 months following post-treatment
+2 more outcomes measured
Autism Spectrum Disorder

NCT06158581

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 2 sites. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • University of Alabama

    Tuscaloosa, Alabamastudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

  • University of Pittsburgh

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvaniastudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

  • Carla Mazefsky, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of Pittsburgh
  • Susan White, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of Alabama at Birmingham

Opens a ready-to-send draft in your own email app — review before sending.

Want this trial checked against your situation?

Add a private profile and we'll compare every criterion below against your situation — and tell you which ones are met, uncertain, or excluding.

Check eligibility for this trial ~2 min · HIPAA-protected · delete anytime
Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

professional diagnosis of ASD
a score in the clinical range on the EDI-Reactivity or EDI-Dysphoria scale based on caregiver report or self-report
The study is open to people with a range of communication abilities. Participants must be able to consent to the study themselves and answer questions about themselves.
Participants need to have a support person that could answer questions about them too. This could be a parent, caregiver, family member, partner or friend. Independent adults can opt out of this portion.
Participants must live in Alabama or Pennsylvania.
  • Emotion Dysregulation InventoryBaseline, Midpoint (after completing 8 sessions), Post treatment (after all 16 sessions, average 16-20 weeks), 3 months following post-treatment

    The EDI does not have a single overall score. It is comprised of two scales: Reactivity and Dysphoria. Items are on a 0 to 4 scale, where 0 is Never happens and 4 is Almost always happens or causes a serious problem. There are clinical cutoffs for both scales.

  • Weiner's Acceptability, Appropriateness, & Feasibility of Intervention ScalesBaseline and Post treatment of first client (after all 16 sessions, average 16-20 weeks)

    Weiner's is a widely used 12-item battery of three scales assessing intervention acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility with strong psychometric properties. There is a 1 to 5 scale, where 1 is Completely disagree and 5 is Completely agree. Higher scores indicate greater acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility.

  • Provider Self-Efficacy ScaleBaseline and Post trial (4 years)

    It assesses both knowledge (of protocol) and confidence (in one's ability to implement as intended). It is a 0-10 scale, where 0 is not at all confident and 10 is extremely confident. Higher scores indicate higher confidence.