Online training to improve communicative skills in autistic adolescents

ISRCTN ISRCTN98165642
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN98165642
Submission date
29/07/2025
Registration date
03/10/2025
Last edited
07/10/2025
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Ongoing
Condition category
Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data
Record updated in last year

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a condition that affects how people communicate and interact with others. Many autistic teenagers find it difficult to use language and other ways of expressing themselves, like gestures or facial expressions, in social situations. These skills are known as pragmatic communication. Although these skills are important, there are very few training programs that help autistic teenagers improve them. Even fewer are available online, which would make them easier to access. This study aims to test an online version of a training program called Cognitive Pragmatic Treatment, or @CPT, to see if it helps autistic teenagers improve their communication skills and whether it is practical to use.

Who can participate?
Teenagers aged 12 to 18 who have been diagnosed with autism by a qualified clinician, can speak Italian as their first language, and have basic language skills can take part in the study.

What does the study involve?
Participants are divided into two groups. One group receives the @CPT training online in small groups, with 15 weekly sessions lasting two hours each. The other group continues with their usual face-to-face therapy. Researchers assess participants before the training, after it ends, and again three months later to see if there are any changes in their communication skills.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Taking part in the study may help improve communication skills in social situations. There are no known major risks, but as with any training program, some participants might find certain tasks challenging or tiring.

Where is the study run from?
University of Turin (Italy)

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
January 2022 to January 2026.

Who is funding the study?
The study is funded by Fondazione CRT (Italy)

Who is the main contact?
Prof Francesca Bosco, francesca.bosco@unito.it
Dr Ilaria Gabbatore, ilaria.gabbatore@unito.it
Dr Ilaria Traetta, ilaria.traetta@unito.it

Contact information

Prof Francesca M. Bosco
Scientific, Principal investigator

Via verdi, 10
Torino
10124
Italy

ORCiD logoORCID ID 0000-0001-6101-8587
Phone +39 11 6703058
Email francesca.bosco@unito.it
Dr Ilaria Gabbatore
Public, Scientific

Via Sant’Ottavio, 20
Torino
10124
Italy

ORCiD logoORCID ID 0000-0002-9724-8066
Phone +39 11 670 3243
Email ilaria.gabbatore@unito.it
Dr Ilaria Traetta
Public, Scientific

Via Verdi, 10
Torino
10124
Italy

ORCiD logoORCID ID 0000-0002-5030-151X
Phone +39 116703065
Email ilaria.traetta@unito.it

Study information

Study designInterventional randomized parallel trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised parallel trial
Study setting(s)Internet/virtual, Other
Study typeTreatment, Efficacy
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participant information sheet.
Scientific titleEffectiveness of Cognitive Pragmatic Treatment in telehealth (@CPT) compared to Treatment-as-Usual (TAU) in improving pragmatic communication skills in autistic adolescents
Study acronym@CPT
Study objectives1. To present the adapted version of the Cognitive Pragmatic Treatment for adolescents (A-CPT) for telepractice use (@CPT)
2. To evaluate the effectiveness of @CPT and the stability of pragmatic improvements at three-month follow-up
3. To rule out spontaneous improvement by comparing the @CPT group with a control group receiving treatment as usual (TAU)
4. To assess the specificity of @CPT by evaluating cognitive and ToM skills, expecting no changes in these domains
Ethics approval(s)

Approved 24/01/2023, Bioethics Committee of the University of Turin (Via Bogino, 9, Turin, 10123, Italy; +39 670 4394; staff.cba@unito.it), ref: 0059806

Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedCommunicative-pragmatic difficulties in adolescents on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
InterventionInterventional study with two groups: an experimental group received the Cognitive Pragmatic Treatment adapted for telepractice (@CPT), delivered in 15 group sessions (2 hours each, once a week) via videoconferencing platforms over approximately three months, while a control group received Treatment-as-Usual (TAU) in face-to-face clinical rehabilitation centers. Assessments were conducted at pre-, post-, and three-month follow-up.
Intervention typeBehavioural
Primary outcome measurePragmatic-communication ability is measured using the equivalent forms of the Assessment Battery for Communication (ABaCo) at baseline (pre-training), immediately after the intervention (post-training), and at three-month follow-up.
Secondary outcome measuresA range of cognitive abilities (i.e., planning, cognitive flexibility, memory, attention, expressive vocabulary and language comprehension) is assessed at baseline and post-treatment using subtests from the BVN 12–18 battery (Gugliotta et al., 2009) together with Theory of Mind (ToM) tasks
Overall study start date01/01/2022
Completion date01/02/2026

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient, Population
Age groupChild
Lower age limit12 Years
Upper age limit18 Years
SexAll
Target number of participants30 participants (both from the experimental and control group)
Key inclusion criteria1. Diagnosis of verbally fluent ASD certified by qualified clinicians using the DSM-5 guidelines
2. Age between 12-18 years
3. Native Italian speakers
4. Basic language abilities assessed by the language comprehension subtask of the BVN 12-18, namely the Token Test
Key exclusion criteria1. Previous history of brain injury or neurological disorder
2. Concurrent participation in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) or other communicative rehabilitation programs
Date of first enrolment01/02/2023
Date of final enrolment01/02/2025

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Italy

Study participating centres

Centro di Riabilitazione Ferrero
Via Edmondo de Amicis, 16, Alba CN
Alba
12051
Italy
Centro Autismo e Sindrome di Asperger ASL CN1
Via San Rocchetto 99.
Mondovì
12084
Italy

Sponsor information

Funders

Funder type

Charity

Fondazione CRT
Private sector organisation / Trusts, charities, foundations (both public and private)
Alternative name(s)
CRT Foundation
Location
Italy

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareYes
IPD sharing plan summaryAvailable on request, Not expected to be made available
Publication and dissemination planPlanned pubblication in a peer-reviewed journal
IPD sharing planThe datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are not expected to be made available due to privacy or ethical restrictions; however, data will be available from the corresponding author (ilaria.gabbatore@unito.it) on reasonable request.

Editorial Notes

04/08/2025: Trial's existence confirmed by Bioethics Committee of the University of Turin.