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CRUSH Curriculum for Autistic Adults

This study is testing a new program called Competence in Romance and Understanding Sexual Health (CRUSH) for autistic adults. CRUSH is a group-based program with one-on-one coaching designed to teach about sexual health and improve skills for intimate relationships. The main goals are to see if the CRUSH program is practical (feasible), if it meets the needs of autistic adults (acceptable), and if it shows early signs of being helpful. You may be able to join if you are an autistic adult between 18 and 30 years old. We will measure how much participants like the program, their sexual vocabulary, and their knowledge about sexual health.

Study design
This is an interventional study planning to enroll 40 participants. It will evaluate the CRUSH curriculum in the context of a clinical trial with a waitlist control condition.
What's involved
You will complete a screening call and confirm your autism features, language ability, and cognitive ability. The program involves intervention sessions and visits at baseline, 10 weeks (midpoint), and 20 weeks (post-intervention).
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Participants will be followed up to 20 weeks after the intervention begins, with measurements taken at baseline, 10 weeks, and 20 weeks.

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

NCT07406100

Piloting the Competence in Romance and Understanding Sexual Health Curriculum

Recruiting
NAAges 18–30InterventionalSupportive care
Boston Children's Hospital
~40 participants
Updated 2026-04-24 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Competence in Romance and Understanding Sexual Health (CRUSH)

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Acceptability Rating Scale
Measured over Within one day of each intervention session and at the Baseline, Midpoint (10 weeks), and Post-intervention visit (20 weeks)
+2 more outcomes measured

Conditions

Autism
Autism Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder

Explore related trials

Autism Spectrum Disorder

NCT07406100

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • Boston Children's Hospital, Two Brookline Place

    Brookline, Massachusettsstudy 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.

Who to contact

Susan Faja, PhD
[email protected]
6179194108
Email the study team

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

18;0 to 30;11 years old;
Either documentation of a prior diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder or receipt of services based on an autism spectrum diagnosis OR self identification as being autistic / on the autism spectrum and meeting the clinical cut-off on either the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule or the Autism Spectrum Quotient;
Ability to provide consent for the protocol and understand task demands. The Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition (WASI-2) may be used to confirm cognitive level. In prior work, adults with full scale IQ of 70 or above on the WASI-2 typically meet this criterion, but a licensed clinician will review individuals who fall below an IQ of 70 on an individual basis to determine eligibility;
Fluent in English.

Exclusion

Non-English-speaking participants (less than 50% of speech in English);
Known genetic etiology of ASD (e.g., Fragile X);
Major mental illness (e.g., bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or psychosis);
Medical conditions that impact sexual function (e.g., pituitary tumor);
Significant sensory, motor, or physical conditions that would prevent valid participation in assessments or intervention;
Live more than 50 miles from the site in Brookline, MA where intervention and assessment sessions will be offered.
Receipt of other sexual health/dating curricula as an adult.

What this trial measures

  • Acceptability Rating ScaleWithin one day of each intervention session and at the Baseline, Midpoint (10 weeks), and Post-intervention visit (20 weeks)

    This is the primary acceptability outcome. Likert ratings with a 5-pt scale

  • Sexual Vocabulary Test - Pragmatics Total ScoreAt the Baseline, Midpoint (10-weeks), and Post-intervention (20-weeks) visits

    This is the primary measure of target engagement. A measure of the ability to provide definitions of sexual health terms to be used as a measure of target engagement - the primary dependent variable measures pragmatic language (e.g., slang) when discussing sexual health terms. Accuracy (knowledge of sexual health terms) is also collected as a secondary variable.

  • Psychosexual Knowledge TestAt the Baseline, Midpoint (10-weeks), and Post-intervention (20-weeks) visits

    This is the primary clinical outcome measure and assesses changes in the information participants have. This task was adapted for the first RCT of a sexual health curriculum developed for autistic adolescents to assess changes in information. It includes 35 multiple choice and 2 open-ended items that are scored as correct or incorrect.