GAINS app to guide caregivers in teaching life skills to children with autism
GAINS Expert Guiding Technology to Coach Life Skill Teaching
This project will test whether the GAINS app can give caregivers step-by-step guidance to teach life skills to children ages 3–10 with autism.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 24 (estimated) |
| Ages | 3 Years to 10 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Guiding Technologies Corporation Industry-sponsored |
| Locations | 1 site (Fayetteville, Arkansas) |
| Trial ID | NCT07203105 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
GAINS provides automated visual and audio behavior-guiding prompts on a tablet or smartphone, built from task analyses that break complex life skills into smaller steps using operant conditioning principles. Behavior practitioners create those task analyses and enter them into the GAINS system, which then delivers real-time coaching to caregivers similar to a navigation system. Caregivers use the app while implementing ABA-based teaching programs so they receive prompts about what to do, when to do it, and how to execute each step. The intervention will be delivered at the University of Arkansas and involves caregivers using the app with children aged 3–10 diagnosed with ASD.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Children ages 3 through 10 with a diagnosis of autism whose caregivers can use a tablet or smartphone and participate at the University of Arkansas are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Children outside the 3–10 age range, those whose caregivers cannot use mobile technology or attend the site, or children requiring intensive clinician-led services may not receive benefit from this app-based approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, GAINS could help caregivers deliver ABA-based life skills teaching more consistently and effectively, potentially improving children's daily independence.
How similar studies have performed: Related telehealth and caregiver-guided ABA programs have shown promising results, but fully automated step-by-step navigation systems like GAINS are relatively new and less well tested.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Only children ages 3 through 10 years who present with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will be recruited for this study. Exclusion Criteria: * No individuals will be excluded or included based on race, ethnicity, or gender
Where this trial is running
Fayetteville, Arkansas
- University of Arkansas — Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States (Recruiting)
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.