---
title: Development of a Family-Based Transition Planning Program for Culturally-Diverse Youth on the Autism Spectrum
nct_id: NCT05965648
overall_status: COMPLETED
phase: NA
sponsor: Boston University Charles River Campus
study_type: INTERVENTIONAL
primary_condition: Autism Spectrum Disorder
countries: United States
canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT05965648.md"
clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05965648"
ct_last_update_post_date: 2026-02-13
last_seen_at: "2026-05-12T06:44:38.185Z"
source: ClinicalTrials.gov (mirrored, no enrichment)
---
# Development of a Family-Based Transition Planning Program for Culturally-Diverse Youth on the Autism Spectrum

**Official Title:** Families FORWARD: Development of a Family-Based Transition Planning Program for Culturally-Diverse Youth on the Autism Spectrum

**NCT ID:** [NCT05965648](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05965648)

## Key Facts

- **Status:** COMPLETED
- **Phase:** NA
- **Study Type:** INTERVENTIONAL
- **Target Enrollment:** 27
- **Lead Sponsor:** Boston University Charles River Campus
- **Collaborators:** Deborah Munroe Noonan Memorial Research Fund
- **Conditions:** Autism Spectrum Disorder, Family Relations
- **Start Date:** 2023-09-02
- **Completion Date:** 2024-09-01
- **CT.gov Last Update:** 2026-02-13

## Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical study is to develop a community-based program to support family members of transition-aged youth on the autism spectrum to help them plan for the future. The main aims of the study are:

1. To develop the Families FORWARD program
2. To conduct proof-of-concept testing of the Families FORWARD program

Participants will complete surveys before and after participating in the program and will participate in exit interviews at the end of the program.

## Detailed Description

The Families FORWARD (Focusing on Relationships, Well-being, and Responsibility aheaD) program aims to increase family members' active planning for the transition to adulthood in the context of autism. The program is designed to enable flexible delivery for families of youth who are diverse across autism features, co-occurring conditions, service needs, cultural values and preferences, and readiness to engage in planning. The program will be delivered collaboratively with community organizations that support individuals on the autism spectrum and/or their families.

The current project aims to conduct proof-of-concept testing with a culturally-diverse sample of families of transition-aged youth on the autism spectrum. Parents / primary caregivers will participate in 6-7 individual, personalized sessions that incorporate aspects of skill-building (communication, goal-setting, problem-solving, systems navigation), education about services, and motivational interviewing. Youth will be invited to participate in 3 of the sessions along with their parent / primary caregiver. Participants will complete surveys before and after participating in the program and will participate in exit interviews at the end of the program. The investigators will assess indicators of acceptability, feasibility, and improvement on proposed mediators and outcomes.

## Eligibility

- **Minimum age:** 14 Years
- **Sex:** ALL
- **Healthy Volunteers:** Yes

```
Inclusion Criteria:

* Family Inclusion Criteria

  1. Parents or primary caregivers of transition-aged youth on the autism spectrum:

     1. Have one or more child(ren) on the autism spectrum who is/are ages 14-21 years old
     2. Identify as the parent, legal guardian, and/or primary caregiver of the youth
     3. Speak English fluently
     4. Reside in Massachusetts
  2. Youth on the autism spectrum:

     1. Have an autism diagnosis OR identify as autistic
     2. Age 14-21
     3. Have ability to communicate verbally or in written format in English
     4. Reside in Massachusetts

Exclusion Criteria: none
```

## Arms

- **Families FORWARD** (OTHER) — This is a single-arm trial of a new transition planning program for families of youth on the autism spectrum. The program includes six or seven bi-weekly parent sessions, three of which are optional for the youth to attend. The program will be facilitated by community-based service providers who work with transition-aged youth on the autism spectrum and/or their families. Baseline characteristics were not collected for service providers.

## Interventions

- **Families FORWARD (Focusing on Relationships, Well-being, and Responsibility aheaD)** (BEHAVIORAL) — Families FORWARD aims to engage families in planning for adulthood earlier and more actively. Program skills include communication and problem-solving; guided practice in setting realistic goals, breaking down goals into incremental action steps, and problem-solving barriers to goal attainment; repeated engagement in future-oriented communication; and training on how to navigate transition-related and adult services. Parents/caregivers will participate in six or seven telehealth sessions (60-75 minutes each). Youth on the autism spectrum will have the option of participating in up to three program sessions to increase collaborative planning within the family. Families will identify and work toward individualized transition planning goals that may fall within any area of planning or functioning (e.g., housing, education, guardianship).

## Primary Outcomes

- **Families FORWARD Program Acceptability Form** _(time frame: Within 2 weeks post-intervention (i.e., 3-4 months after enrollment).)_ — Parents/caregivers (and youth, when applicable) completed the Program Acceptability scale which assess acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of the FamiliesFORWARD program. Item scores range from 1 to 5. The measure was scored by a total summation; total scores range from 12 to 60. Higher scores are associated with higher perceptions of intervention acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility.
- **Transition Planning Activities Measure** _(time frame: Within 2 weeks post-intervention (i.e., 3-4 months after enrollment).)_ — The Transition Preparation Activities Measure (T-PAM) was the outcome measure used to assess parents' readiness for their youth's transition to adulthood after completing the Families FORWARD intervention. Item scores range from 1 to 5. Total scores on the measure range from 14 to 70, with higher scores associated with higher transition readiness. Parents/caregivers completed an online version of the T-PAM following completion of the Families FORWARD intervention.

## Locations (1)

- Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States

## Recent Field Changes (last 30 days)

- `status.overallStatus` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.primaryCompletionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.completionDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `status.lastUpdatePostDate` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.phases` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `design.enrollmentCount` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.criteria` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.minAge` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `eligibility.sex` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `outcomes.primary` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.arms` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `armsInterventions.interventions` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `sponsor.lead` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `sponsor.collaborators` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `results.hasResults` — added _(2026-05-12)_
- `locations.boston university|boston|massachusetts|united states` — added _(2026-05-12)_

---

*Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/agent/trials/NCT05965648.md*  
*Source data (authoritative): https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05965648*  
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