A Pilot Randomized Trial of a Brief Mental Health Crisis Prevention Program for Autistic Youth.

Autistic youth are at significant risk of experiencing a mental health crisis. Unfortunately, most clinical approaches to crisis management, such as referral to the emergency department, can be traumatic. At present, no crisis prevention programs have been developed for or rigorously tested among au...

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Published in:Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders Vol. 56; no. 7; pp. 2481 - 2493
Main Authors: Kalb, Luther G., Perrin, Jeremy, Sollins, Elie, Horton, Jennifer, Cross, Elizabeth A., Vasa, Roma A.
Format: research tables/charts randomized controlled trial Journal Article
Published: Springer Nature Jul2026
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jul2026
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      pub: Springer Nature
      place: New York, New York
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        atl: A Pilot Randomized Trial of a Brief Mental Health Crisis Prevention Program for Autistic Youth.
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          Kalb, Luther G.
          Perrin, Jeremy
          Sollins, Elie
          Horton, Jennifer
          Cross, Elizabeth A.
          Vasa, Roma A.
        affil: https://ror.org/05q6tgt32 Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 3901 Greenspring Avenue, 21211, Baltimore, MD, USA
      sug:
        subj:
          Mental Disorders Prevention and Control
          Internet-Based Intervention
          Program Evaluation
          Autism Spectrum Disorder In Infancy and Childhood
          Parents
          Crisis Intervention
          Program Development
          Psychoeducation
          Human
          Pilot Studies
          Randomized Controlled Trials
          Child, Preschool
          Child
          Confidence
          Urban Areas
          United States
          Scales
          Data Analysis Software
          Funding Source
          Child, Preschool: 2-5 years
          Child: 6-12 years
      ab: Autistic youth are at significant risk of experiencing a mental health crisis. Unfortunately, most clinical approaches to crisis management, such as referral to the emergency department, can be traumatic. At present, no crisis prevention programs have been developed for or rigorously tested among autistic youth. The goals of this study were to develop a parent-mediated mental health crisis prevention program, delivered virtually by a licensed clinician over three 1-h sessions, and test its efficacy via a randomized controlled trial. The trial included 49 autistic youth, ages 3 to 12 years, and their parents, who were recruited from an outpatient autism center. All children had behavioral concerns but were not at acute risk of crisis. Parents in the crisis prevention program (n = 25) reported that the strategies were safe and feasible; they were also very satisfied with the program. Compared to active controls (n = 24), who received the Autism Speaks Challenging Behavior Toolkit, the crisis prevention program was found to have greater improvements in caregiver-reported knowledge, confidence, and preparedness regarding management of crisis behaviors (p <.05). However, effects on caregiver-reported child irritability and behavioral acuity did not differ (p >.05). The brief crisis prevention program is safe, feasible, and acceptable to parents. While it improves mental health crisis preparedness, further research on its efficacy in reducing crisis risk is needed.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        randomized controlled trial
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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