Recruiting

CRUSH Curriculum

Sponsor:

Boston Children's Hospital

Code:

NCT07406100

Conditions

Autism

Autism Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 30

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Competence in Romance and Understanding Sexual Health (CRUSH)

Study Details

Brief summary:

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether the CRUSH curriculum is possible (feasible), whether it fits the needs of the adults it is designed for (acceptable), and shows initial signs of being helpful (efficacious). CRUSH is a group-based behavioral intervention plus 1-1 coaching designed to provide sexual education and improve the skills of autistic adults for intimate relationships.

The main goals of the project are to:

  • Evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the CRUSH curriculum in the context of a clinical trial with a waitlist control condition.
  • Initial exploration of how the CRUSH curriculum works and whether it is helpful.

Participants will complete:

  • A screening call.
  • Confirmation of clinical characteristics (autism features, language ability, cognitive ability).
  • 3 visits to assess knowledge and behaviors related to dating and sexual health at each point throughout the training curriculum (before beginning, midway, and after finishing).
  • 20 sessions of the CRUSH curriculum plus 1-1 coaching sessions. After each session, provide feedback about the session.

Conditions

Autism

Autism Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Study ID

NCT07406100

Start date

Apr 1, 2026

Status verified date

Apr, 2026

Completion date

Jul 31, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jul 31, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 30

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 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 Criteria:

  • 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.

Study Design

Enrollment

40 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Supportive Care

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: CRUSH Intervention

Participants will receive the CRUSH Curriculum

no intervention: Waitlist

Will be invited to receive the CRUSH intervention at the end of the study period

Interventions

Competence in Romance and Understanding Sexual Health (CRUSH)

Manualized curriculum targeting sexual health and behavior in intimate relationships designed to meet the specific needs of autistic adults

Primary outcome measure

  • Acceptability Rating Scale [ Time Frame: Within one day of each intervention session and at the Baseline, Midpoint (10 weeks), and Post-intervention visit (20 weeks) ]
  • Sexual Vocabulary Test - Pragmatics Total Score [ Time Frame: At the Baseline, Midpoint (10-weeks), and Post-intervention (20-weeks) visits ]
  • Psychosexual Knowledge Test [ Time Frame: At the Baseline, Midpoint (10-weeks), and Post-intervention (20-weeks) visits ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Susan Faja, PhD

6179194108ProjectCRUSH@childrens.harvard.edu

Locations

Boston Children's Hospital, Two Brookline Place

Recruiting

Brookline, Massachusetts, United States, 02445

Contacts

Susan Faja, PhD

6179194108ProjectCRUSH@childrens.harvard.edu

More Information

Sponsor

Boston Children's Hospital

Last update posted

Apr 24, 2026

Last verified

Apr, 2026

Keywords

  • sexual health
  • romantic relationships

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-08. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Boston Children's Hospital on 2026-04-24.